The Authority: Emergence
by LadyLuck678
Summary: Gems, superhuman beings who emerged during WWII. The genetic pattern was clear; only those carrying the XX chromosome could develop superhuman abilities. Steven thought he was an average boy until an accident showed him that he was anything but ordinary. Follow him as he uncovers the truth about his mother and the para-military organization The Authority. *Steven Universe AU*
1. What A Morning!

**Greetings, welcome to my Steven Universe AU. If you want some backstory on the characters please see; The Authority: Origins. That will be an ongoing series of vignettes, but it's moving a little slower than this story... Don't want to give anything away.**

**This story is a slow burn because I'm establishing what's going on in this world. As always, enjoy!  
**

**Excelsior!**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

Sunlight streamed in from partially closed window slats. Its unbridled glory painting brilliant lines on the well-worn wooden floor in the living room and bedroom loft.

Steven yawned and stretched as he opened his eyes only to find Garnet looking at him.

"Happy birthday Steven!" She clumsily kissed his forehead a couple times as he laughed out loud. She sat up and beamed at him.

"So, what does my 12 year-old cutie-pie want for breakfast?"

"You don't have work today!?" Steven said, hopeful stars filling his eyes. Garnet shook her head, her bushy, kinky, dark curls moving with the motion.

"Sorry, Steven, I could only take a couple hours off. I have an appointment with a client at 11." Steven gave a sad hum as Garnet got up and ruffled his hair.

She was a tennis instructor and personal trainer at the Beach City sports center. Steven should have gotten the clue that she had work just by the gym shorts, tank top, and the wide sports band she wore to keep her mass of curly dark hair back.

"But we have some time, so let's make the most of it." She hopped down the stairs to the living area and opened the fridge.

"I'll be back at six for your party, I couldn't miss that." She looked back with her heterochromatic eyes and winked at him. Garnet was so awesome; she was a little over six feet tall and build like weight lifter. Steady and calm, and one of her coolest features was that she had one sapphire blue eye and one rusty brown eye. She was the coolest.

And sometimes it almost seemed like she could see the future. Steven would play tennis with her, and he could swear that she knew where he was going to be before it happened (not that he was the best player). He's seen her do that with her clients as well when she occasionally brought him to work with her. People commented that she should go professional, but she only shook her head, and calmly stated that she liked being a teacher.

"You'll need to get up and get ready, Amethyst is going to want to take you to Funland today." The boy swung his feet over the side of the bed and gave his guardian a puzzled look.

"She didn't say anything about that..." He padded down the stairs in his banana pajamas when a scratchy voice pierced the air.

"STEVE-O! Happy birthday little man!" The stout woman ran up to him, grabbed him by the neck, and affectionately gave him a "noogie."

"Ha-ha, Amethyst!" He slipped out of the crook of her arm, rubbing the back of his head, all smiles.

"Steven! We are totally going to Funland and getting sick on ice cream and pizza!"

"Don't fill up on too much junk food, your dad's barbecuing tonight, remember?" Garnet said over her shoulder. "That and Pearl will be mad." The tennis instructor added while heating a pan on the stove.

"Uhhhh, when is she not salty? She's a salt mine!" Amethyst rolled her eyes and turned back to Steven.

"Okay, so check it out. The Appalachian is running in reverse today! So maybe a little junk food is a better idea?"

A toothy grin spread across her rounded features. She was maybe a few inches taller than Steven with white feathered hair, and all heart. She held up her hand, and the boy enthusiastically slapped it.

"I didn't know the Appalachian could do that?" Steven said with stars in his eyes, "We have to get to Funland!" The Appalachian was his favorite roller coaster, and until recently, he could only watch people ride on it.

"Old man Smiley usually runs it that way the last couple weekends of summer. Last year you were still too shrimpy to ride, bud." Amethyst walked behind the counter next to Garnet and proceeded to get some dishes out of the cabinet.

"But not this year!" She handed him a plate and some silverware just as Garnet brought the frying pan over.

"Scrambled eggs and bacon? Garnet, you can see the future! I didn't say what I wanted!" Garnet just shook her head.

"It's your favorite silly. Did you take your pills?"

"Yeah man, gotta take those or Pearl will be salty with you me, and Garnet." Amethyst started helping herself to some bacon.

"But Garnet..."

"Put your buts away, Steven. The doctor said to take your medication once a day, so that's what you are going to do." She picked up the bottle from the counter and placed two chalky pills and a glass of water in front of Steven.

Steven obediently took the medicine and chugged it down so he could get it over with as fast as possible. Recently he'd been getting migraines a lot.

Missing out on school, missing hanging out with Connie (his BFF). Pearl and his dad had taken him to the doctors, and after multiple tests, including an MRI, they found nothing. It was a good thing, but the headaches were still a problem.

The doctor said it was "growing pains." He was reaching puberty, and his body was going through changes. Eat your vegetables, and get enough sleep, drink lots of water, have some pills, have a great day.

Easy for the doctor to write off, not so easy for Steven. But the pills did help a little bit, so being the good kid he was, he took them.

"Com' on little man, let's get this party started! We're going to want to hit the park soon, or the lines will be a bummer." Amethyst began cleaning up, while Garnet got her gym bag and her trademark sunglasses out of her room.

"I'll walk you and Amethyst to the Crab Shack, Pearl want's to wish you a happy birthday."

**… … … … … … … … …**

The Crab Shack was situated nearby, and it usually had a reputation of being an establishment for Beach City "locals." This time of year, however, it was at its busiest due to its proximity to Funland. Pearl was the head manager of the restaurant, she'd worked there for... Well, forever, according to Steven.

Usually, it would have been Pearl who got Steven up and made him breakfast for his birthday, but the owners went on an impromptu vacation. They wanted her to oversee not just the restaurant, but the prep work while they were gone. That meant getting up to meet with the fishmongers at the docks to purchase fresh seafood and oversee quality control.

So she begrudgingly set her alarm for five a.m., and quietly got ready when it went off the next morning. The house was still dark when she crept out of her room, making sure her snowy white dress shirt and black pants didn't have a single wrinkle on them.

Quietly, she walked up the stairs to Steven's loft and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, she then straightened the blanket covering him and left him to sleep. She grabbed a light windbreaker from a nearby coat rack and slipped out the front door.

It was balmy out, but later, it would be like walking through a sauna. She walked past the Big Donut (waving at a groggy Sadie Miller), and quickly made her way to the corner of Thayer and Waterman Street where It's a Wash was situated.

Pearl clenched her jaw and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets when she glanced at the van in the parking lot. Greg Universe's current home, a van. Of course, he'd always lived in a van, and Rose lived there with him for a time.

The only person Pearl had ever given her heart too, Rose. For a time, the two of them were happy, after everything they'd been through, they deserved that much. Life before Beach City was... Complicated.

After a while, though, Greg Universe wandered into their lives. "You can't ignore the Universe." Rose was star struck with the failing rockstar from then on out. Before Pearl knew it, Greg and Rose, were a couple. They had a life together, and they were happy.

Pearl couldn't begrudge Rose's joy. If Rose was happy, then she would be content to limp along with the hole in her chest where her heart used to be. She'd just smile, say everything was alright, and bleed.

It happened so fast, they were married then they moved into the beach house. Between Greg and Rose, they couldn't afford it, Greg had just purchased the car-wash, but it was roomy. Soon, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst had moved in. A mismatched family, but a generally happy one.

Then Rose got pregnant, and everything was moving along splendidly until the birth of little Steven. There were complications. Steven was thankfully fine, healthy as could be. Rose wasn't; there was a postpartum hemorrhage in her pelvic area. She held little Steven for all of 15 minutes before the doctor noticed anything was wrong. The doctor noticed too late.

Rose was gone.

Twelve years ago. Rose would have been 33 years old today, and she would have adored Steven. Pearl knew this because she herself adored Steven. For all intents and purposes, he was her child, and Garnet's and Amethyst's... And Greg's. She couldn't deny it; Greg Universe was an amazing father to Steven. Even if he lived in his van (Even if he was the cause of Pearl's heartache.)

"Excuse us!" Pearl was jarred from her thoughts when a golf cart carrying two teenagers wearing Funland staff t-shirts rolled past, newly emptied trashcans precariously balanced in the back. She had managed to walk all the way from Waterman Street to Bay Street without really noticing.

Pearl gave them an irate look as she passed and made her way to the docks. She walked past the bigger fishing trawlers to a medium-sized one, Yellowtail's boat.

She made her way up the plank, "Hello? Yellowtail? Oh-."

The friendly, bearded man was high up on one of the ship's cranes with two of his crew members.

"Hey Pearl, here to see today's catch?" A somewhat deep voice said from behind her.

"Oh, Sour Cream, I didn't expect to see you here." Sour Cream (his DJ name) was Yellowtail's step-son, he was tall and lanky with bleach blond hair and youthful blue eyes.

"Yeah, summer job, working with yellow dad part-time for some cash for a new turntable." The young man looked up to where his step-dad was.

"Is everything alright?" Pearl said curiously.

"Something messed up the pulley system today on the crane when we were out, he's trying to get it fixed before tomorrow morning. Anyways, want to see our catch? We got some good stuff before our rigging messed up."

He led Pearl over to the crabs they had just caught this morning. She carefully perused the crustacean filled bins while Sour Cream followed behind with a handbill taking her order.

"This is good! Does your dad have anything else?" Pearl was impressed, but then again, Yellowtail was a great fisherman.

"Yeah, we caught some tuna-" Abruptly, there was some yelling from above. Pearl watched in horror as the pulley wheel and hook fell from the crane above. Sour Cream was right beneath it.

She moved blindingly fast; it was instinct mostly. Years of special forces training kicked in, she lunged for the teenage boy, tackling him at his waist. She felt the crushingly heavy pulley wheel clip her shoulder just as she got Sour Cream out of the way. A sharp pain shooting down her back, she would be just fine (bruised but otherwise unharmed). The young man would not have been, he would have easily been crushed or worse.

More yelling from above, Pearl sat up on her knees and looked at young Sour Cream. "Are you alright!?"

"Uh yeah, I mean... Pearl, you just saved my life..."

"Well, I can't have my preferred fishmongers getting hurt now!"

Pearl blushed and gave a nervous smile.

**… … … … … … … … …**

The day was bright and warm, it was the last two weeks of summer before school started. Families on vacation with their kids milled about the various businesses in and around Funland Amusement Park. A few buses carrying college kids from the area were nearby unloading rambunctious, young adults for one last blast of summer freedom.

Amethyst walked with her hands stuffed in her jean pockets, white hair now tied in a precarious knot. Steven and Connie were practically bouncing in front of her and Garnet as they passed the amusement park. Had to go see Pearl before they were cut loose for the day.

Connie had met the group in front of the Big Donut, while Sadie and an indifferent Lars gave the kids some complimentary b-day cupcakes. It was going to be an awesome day, Amethyst could feel it.

They had just passed the amusement park, when Garnet got a notice on her phone and started texting as she walked, her expression unreadable under her sunglasses.

"We have to go talk to Pearl," Garnet said rather flatly pursing her lips.

"Uh yeah, that's what we're doing now, G."

"No, something happened this morning." The tall woman paused to let the kids run ahead out of earshot.

"She thinks someone saw her use her powers."

"Awww, jeez! She's always getting on my case, and then she goes and blows her own cover." Amethyst said, eyes narrowing.

"She wouldn't have done it without good reason." Garnet adjusted her tennis racket and gym bag and began to follow Steven and Connie around to the side entrance of the Crab Shack.

The kitchen entrance was open, and the smell of boiled crab and freshly baked breadsticks mixed with the salty air from the ocean. Amethyst rapped her knuckles on the aluminum door startling a fresh-faced summer higher from mopping. (Pearl ran a spic and span kitchen at home, why would it be different at work?)

"Yo, we're here to see Pearl?" Amethyst said, somewhat annoyed.

"Oh yeah, she's in the manager's office, she told me to show you in." The short woman looked over to Garnet and the kids.

"Hey Steve-O, Garnet, and I need to have a grown-up chat with Pearl. Think you guys can chill for a few out here?"

"We'll be just fine, ma'am, no need to worry!" Connie said, standing up straight and puffing out her chest a bit.

"Ma'am? Ugh, you act like I'm respectable or something..." Amethyst made a face, and the children laughed.

She and Garnet followed the young man through a dim hallway lined with a couple of freezers. In the back was a dark-colored door with worn gold lettering, "Manager's Office."

"Pirogi, it's us, let us in," Amethyst said loudly, as Garnet said thanks to the busboy and let him pass to resume mopping.

The sound of hurried feet approached, a hand grasping the handle and pulling. "Oh, thank God you're here!"

The willowy woman ushered the pair in. Amethyst looked around; aside from it smelling like a seafood restaurant, it was actually kind of cozy, in a worn-out sort of way. An overstuffed leather couch sat off to the side, and a timeworn wooden desk took up the center of the room. Multiple five-star reviews and award plaques covered the wall behind the desk.

"Tell me what happened," Garnet said as Pearl sat on the couch.

"It was horrible! I was on Yellowtail's ship, putting in an order for the day."

The tennis instructor sat down next to Pearl. Amethyst sat on the low coffee table just in front of the couch as their nervous friend told the pair of what transpired. The falling equipment and Pearl's daring rescue of DJ Sour Cream.

"You alright, P?" Amethyst finally said after a long pause.

"I'm fine, it's just..." She shook her head, her short, medium blonde hair moving slightly with the motion.

"Gotta say P, you made it sound like it was the end of the world. There's no way Vidalia's kiddo got a good look at what happened." Vidalia was Sour Cream's mother and Amethyst's best friend. She often used Amethyst as a model for her paintings. It's how she made a few extra dollars, aside from being a local bartender.

Garnet gingerly put her hand on Pearl's shoulder, "Ow! Do you mind?!"

"You should ice that up. You probably should have done that as soon as you got here today." Garnet's sports trainer expertise kicking in. "Let's see Pearl."

She unbuttoned the top couple of buttons on her shirt and slipped the collar down over her shoulder. An ugly nebula of black, blue, and red was splayed across her right shoulder and part of her back, the strap of her bra standing out starkly in contrast. Garnet motioned for Pearl to turn a bit so she could get a better look.

The manager winced and continued, "It's not Sour Cream that has me worried. If it was just him, I could have brushed it off as him seeing something he didn't. It's the damn video someone took of the incident! It got posted on Keep Beach City Weird!"

Amethyst quickly whipped out her phone and pulled up the web site. There the video was front and center, labeled "Super Humans Among Us." It was only about 30 seconds, and Pearl's face was blurry and partially obscured by some nearby cargo netting. But anyone that knew Pearl's face could see that was her.

Amethyst handed her phone to Garnet, who then swore underneath her breath. "Garnet, I'm so sorry, I couldn't let that poor boy get crushed though!"

Garnet looked straight at Amethyst, "What are the odds of Ronaldo taking that down?"

"Dude, odds are that paranoid kid will get suspicious of us asking, and then make a bigger deal out of it then it already is. Honestly, I think we're better off just playing it down."

Ronaldo Frybo, conspiracy theorist of the highest order, creator and moderator of the Keep Beach City Weird website. Pearl buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Hey, P, it's alright. I would've done the same thing, like, you can't just let bad stuff happen to people when you can help."

All of Amethyst's frustration at Pearl dissipated. She was a perfectionist and fussy and too neat, but Pearl was good people. They were two ends of the spectrum, but Amethyst would stick her neck out for Pearl any time. Garnet handed her phone back as Pearl straightened her shirt.

The problem was the video, not that Pearl selflessly flung herself under 500 pounds of steel to save a teenage boy. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl had worked very hard to keep their identities a secret for many years. When they settled in Beach City with Rose all those years ago, it was a relief. They could stop running and start living. This video, though, if the wrong people watched it... Amethyst shivered despite the warm day.

"Not too many people subscribe to the website," Garnet said carefully, looking at her watch. "I think we'll be okay. Pearl, if anyone asks, just play it down. The video is shoddy at best."

"Relax pirogi, there's better footage of Big Foot than that video of you!" Amethyst said with a grin. She clapped her friend's knee and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Thank you, Amethyst, I love being compared to a cryptid." She said wryly while wiping her eyes, a small smile appearing on the thin woman's face.

"I don't know, you do have that beak... The Bird Woman of Beach City!" Amethyst barked out a laugh after she said the comment.

"Rude!" Everything was back to normal.

"That's enough you two, I gotta get to the sports center before I'm late. We also left Steven and Connie outside."

"Oh! Steven, it's his birthday! I am the worst, how could I forget." Pearl quickly stood and looked in a nearby mirror.

Amethyst rolled her eyes, "You look fine! Come on out and give Steve-O a hug."

"Put ice on that shoulder, Pearl, otherwise you'll be in a lot of pain later." Garnet walked out of the office, followed by Pearl.

Amethyst trailing after them. She couldn't help feeling that this was the beginning of something, but she has been wrong before.


	2. The Storm

It was late in the afternoon by the time Steven, Connie, and Amethyst got out of Funland. The park was open for several more hours at least, but there was a birthday party to attend.

Steven loved his birthday weekend; junk food and rides the first part of the day. Barbecue and family and friends with a bonfire on the beach, the last part of the day. It was, in Steven's honest opinion, the perfect day.

The group made the trek back towards the beach house, happily joking and tossing a miniature football around that Connie had won at one of the game booths. Connie was so cool, he'd first met her at the local elementary school this past year.

Her mom, Dr. Priyanka Mashewaran, had just started working at the local hospital. Before moving here, though, it sounded like Connie moved around a lot for her dad's job, she didn't have any friends. Steven was more than happy to be her first best friend. The two were like peanut butter and jelly after that day.

They were going to hit It's A Wash and hitch a ride back with Steven's dad in his van. The boy was excited, he hadn't seen his dad all day. He tossed the small football in the air, caught it, and turned.

"Hey, Amethyst! Go long!" He threw the ball towards his guardian; despite her stocky build, she was super agile, like a cat. She would have caught the ball too, except for the mailbox that got in the way. The ball smashed into the metal box with a loud _clang_.

"Duuuuuude... That's not good." Amethyst said with a nervous grin, it was noticeably bent on its flimsy steel post. She looked around quickly as Steven and Connie walked up.

"Can you fix it, Amethyst?" Steven asked, while the short woman appraised the damaged property. She bent it back into a relatively straight position.

"No prob Steve-O, good as new!" The group started walking away when the mailbox fell over completely, making an obnoxiously loud banging noise on the cement sidewalk.

"Everybody run!" Amethyst yelled. The trio ran, giggling all the way to the car wash, where Greg was out front putting up the water hoses for the day.

"Schtu-Ball, happy birthday! What are you up to, you rascal?!" Steven barreled into his dad's beefy arms as Greg swung him around in a bear hug. He set him back down and gave his son a whiskery kiss on the forehead.

"Awww, daaaaaad!" The boy wiped off his forehead, and Connie laughed at the exaggerated motion.

"So, what were you guys up too?" The older man said he flipped over a plastic bucket inviting Connie to have a seat as Steven and Amethyst sat in the back of Greg's van.

"Vandalism!" Steven said with a toothy grin.

"Wha-what?" Greg's voice raised a few octaves as he looked over at Amethyst.

"Naw, music man, it was an accident. We may have knocked over a mailbox with a mini football." She said, swinging her legs over the back bumper.

"Oh, you mean the one about a block away? That thing falls over at least once a week, the house is for sale, so nobody is living there. Whoever buys it is going to have to replace that thing." The older man shook his head, waist-length hair swaying with the motion.

"SO," Greg looked directly at Steven. "We got only the finest of hot dogs for the barbecue tonight, and all the fixings for s'mores." He walked over to his Steven and ruffled his hair. "Any headaches?"

"I've got a little one, it's not bad. I took my pills this morning." The old rocker nodded and beamed at Steven.

"Let's see this mailbox destroying, mini football before we head to the beach, Connie!" Greg ran across the front lot of the carwash as Connie jumped up and tossed the ball.

It was caught with no effort; the older man then tossed it to Steven, who in turn threw it straight up in the air for Amethyst to catch. She then chucked it back over to Connie, who was just a hair ahead of the ball. It bounced awkwardly on the cement and ricocheted into the street.

"I'll get it!" Connie yelled with a huge smile on her face, she ran out just as a full-sized pickup truck was turning the corner.

Steven's eyes grew wide. It was strange, he felt all the muscles in his legs as he started to run. He felt the rubber on the soles of his sandals gripping the sidewalk. Both his dad and Amethyst were screaming, something... He had to get Connie out of the way.

Steven saw the shocked expression on his friend's face as he pushed her out of harm's way. Then he saw his reflection in the bumper of the truck, the smell of burning rubber as the breaks squealed. He threw up his hands in a feeble attempt to protect himself when a strange pink light erupted from somewhere. Then darkness.

**… … … … … … … … …**

The waiting was the hardest part. Greg sat in the waiting room corner next to a vending machine with his head leaning against the wall behind him. The smell of hand sanitizer and disinfectant filling his nostrils.

The hospital was new-ish, back in the 1980's you had to go to the next town over if any sort of major medical issue happened. But in the mid 90's, a hospital was built in the "new" part of town. Beach City locals call it New Beach City, where all the law firms, business headquarters, and such existed. (It was still pretty small.)

The elephant in the room (the thing that Greg wasn't sure how to breach), was what he and Amethyst had seen. The magenta-colored barrier that his son summoned out of nowhere, milliseconds before the truck hit and shattered the barrier. The pair hadn't spoken to the others about it yet.

His little boy was still hurt despite the last-second save. He was flung several feet backwards, his little body not moving, bleeding from the head. Thankfully Connie was just fine; she just had some scrapes and bruises.

He shook his head and looked over at Amethyst, she was pacing near the admissions counter. Garnet and Pearl sitting just a couple seats away from Greg. Pearl had her face buried in Garnets's shoulder, a tissue held in one hand.

The emergency room doors opened with a hiss, and Dr. Mashewaran stepped out. Greg stood up immediately, and Amethyst stopped her pacing. Garnet and Pearl stood up as well.

"Mr. Universe, Steven is just fine. He's got a few stitches and a concussion, but he's good. He doesn't even have any broken bones." The doctor came over and placed her hand on Greg's shoulder as all the tension drained from him.

"Oh, wow, that's... Wow." He placed both his hands on Priyanka's shoulders. "Hey, listen I'm really sorry this happened, I'm always telling Steven to look out and-"

"No, it's alright, Mr. Universe. It's a damn miracle. Both our children are safe and sound." She looked away for a moment, Connie's mom was shaken up too. She gave Greg's shoulder a squeeze before letting go.

"When can we take him home?" Pearl said, holding her hands to her chest, Garnet wrapping her arm around Pearl's shoulder.

"I'm getting the discharge papers ready now. You can go and see him in a minute. It was a close one, but everyone is going home tonight." Dr. Mashewaran said as she walked back through the doors into the triage area.

There was a long relieved pause as everyone collected themselves. Amethyst shuffled over to Greg and looked at him.

"We should probably say something... Honestly, I don't know anything about this stuff, I only know what Rose told me." The older man said softly.

Amethyst gave Greg a knowing look, "Hey, did you guys see the truck that hit Steven?"

"Amethyst! I don't even want to think about that right now! Let's just get Steven and go home." Clearly, Pearl didn't want to think about what could have happened.

"No, it's kind of important Pearl... Garnet." Greg said, looking at the two women. Garnet stepped in closer as Amethyst pulled out her phone and pulled up the pictures of the vehicle that had hit the poor boy.

The pickup truck was a wreck, it looked like it had hit something far larger and far stronger than a 12-year-old boy. Its hood was crunched all the way back to the windshield, the engine and radiator clearly visible.

Garnet took the phone from Amethyst and stared, Pearl had her hand splayed across her mouth.

"It's a miracle he survived." The tennis instructor was in awe at the damage.

"Steven, he... He put up the some kind of energy barrier. It looked a lot like the one Rose used to generate." Amethyst said, looking away sharply.

"That's impossible! He's a boy, the mutation only affects the XX chromosome!" Disbelief coloring Pearl's voice.

"Look, I know what I saw, okay! He put up Rose's shield, Greg saw it too!"

"Pearl, there's no way Steven could have come out of that the way he did otherwise. He used some sort of power to save himself. It looked a lot like Rose's powers." Greg scratched his chin and looked at the women in front of him. They were all legal guardians of Steven's. He cared for each one of them (even Pearl, despite her bitterness towards him).

"Let's just focus on getting him home for now. We'll delve a little deeper into this in the morning." Garnet finally said, looking up. A nurse was approaching with some paperwork. The conversation they were about to have would need to be in private. Greg was sure Garnet was going to tell Steven about who they really were.

**… … … … … … … … …**

Steven woke up to thunder and rain beating against his window. He lay in his bed for a short while, contemplating the storm. He felt sore, and his head hurt (especially above his left eyebrow, where several stitches were). It was still dark outside, the lightning occasionally flashing, revealing the beach below.

Steven finally looked at his Cookie Cat clock on his nightstand; 05:13, it was _early_. Pearl would come out of her room soon, she had to supervise the purchase supplies from the docks every day for her job. She would come up and give him a kiss on the forehead before she left. She's done it every day since he could remember.

Questions rolled endlessly through his head; what was that pink light that he made? Did it show up because he was in danger? Could he do it again? Did he make that light, shield, thingy himself?

A sharp peal of thunder rolled through the air, startling the young man from his thoughts. His dad mumbled something unintelligible on the couch below the loft. (He told Steven he wanted to make sure he was okay, so he was going to couch surf for the night.)

Shortly after, he heard the soft rattle of a door opening and then closing. His father mumbled something else, equally unintelligible, and Pearl gave an irritated sigh. Steven wouldn't have realized she was almost at the stairs if she hadn't reacted to the sleeping man on the couch.

He looked over as Pearl stepped up into the bedroom loft.

"Steven, it's early, baby. You should go back to sleep." She half-whispered and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Storm woke me up. Do you have to go to work today?" Steven already knew the answer, but he was nothing if not an eternal optimist.

The thin woman pursed her lips and turned on the small lamp that sat on the nightstand. The soft orange light revealing dark circles under her eyes.

"You know I do," Tenderly, she brushed the boy's unruly dark curls off of his forehead, careful not to disturb the bandage over his left eye.

"But I'll try and slip away after morning prep is done at the restaurant." A crack of thunder and a flash made the pair pause their conversation.

"I'm going to wait a little bit for the storm to calm down, though." She added, looking worriedly out the window.

Steven gave her a tired smile and scooted over a little bit. Pearl shook her head and gently smiled back, reclining next to him. She wrapped a thin arm around his little shoulder and buried her nose in his messy hair.

"Pearl? When the truck hit me, I-I made a light come out of my hands... I don't think I'd be here if that didn't happen. All I knew was that I had to save Connie, and this shield appeared." The boy knew that his best friend was just fine. He asked last night, and Dr. Mashewaran said she was doing much better than he was. (He was totally going to call her today, just to be sure.)

"What was that?" A flash of lightning cut across the sky.

The willowy woman adjusted herself, so she was on her side, leaning on her left elbow, her hand cupping Steven's cheek. Her light blue eyes piercing the boy.

"Garnet wants all of us together so we can talk about this. But I'll say this; you're special, Steven." Pearl looked out the window as another bolt of lightning arched across the early morning sky.

"_Oh_, it seems silly, I've said this before. You're my special little boy!" Her eyes had tears in them.

"But you're special in a whole different way now. You're mother, Rose could make barriers like that too..." She leaned over and gave Steven a soft kiss on the forehead.

"My mom could do that!? How?" He sat up rather suddenly then winced when his head throbbed.

_"Shhh_, we'll all talk about this later, Okay? What I want you to do today is stay in bed and rest! I promise to explain what's going on when we all get together tonight. Garnet and Amethyst will too." She pulled the blankets back over him and straightened the collar on his pajamas.

"Looks like the rain has almost stopped. Do you need anything before I leave?" Pearl stroked Steven's cheek with her thumb.

"I need you to have a good day!" The boy said with a smile.

Pearl shook her head and gave him one more kiss as she got up. She straightened her shirt (ever the perfectionist) and turned the small lamp off.

"I mean it, I want you to rest today." The tone was stern, Pearl meant business.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're dad, and Amethyst are going to be here today if you need anything, alright?" Steven gave a slow nod and made himself comfortable.

Satisfied that the boy was settled in, Pearl carefully walked down the steps so as not to disturb the occupant on the couch.

He watched as she grabbed an umbrella and put on her windbreaker, she turned and gave him a final wave. A flash and a violent crack of thunder resounded through the house and sky. Everyone jumped, including Steven's dad. He screamed and fell off the couch.

"M'okay!" Greg said as he stood up in his boxers and t-shirt. He was still mostly asleep.

"That's great, Greg. Steven, you're father is fine if you didn't hear that. In fact, I'm sure the whole house heard that." Pearl said tartly as she opened the front door.

"Nice cherry boxers, by the way." Steven laughed, and Pearl winked at him as she walked out the door.

His father padded over to the end of the staircase, muzzy with sleep.

"S'okay Schtu-ball?"

"It's okay, dad. Go back to sleep, it's just the storm." Steven said, chuckling.


	3. The Raw Truth

**When you don't give me love (You gave me pale shelter)**  
**You don't give me love (you give me cold hands)**  
**And I can't operate on this failure**  
**When all I want to be is**  
**Completely in command**  
_**Tears for Fears – Pale Shelter**_

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

Once upon a time, Yellow would have walked up and seen Blue fussing with the many hydrangea flowers in the garden. The roses and the marigolds too, it used to be a passion. It was all a hazy dream now.

Blue kneeling in the garden, a soft smile splayed across her elegant features. Yellow walking up and embracing her after the end of a long day. They would sit in the sun-room of their stately house after dinner, Carissa sharing what she learned at school.

Then Blue would tuck Carissa into bed, and the pair would turn in themselves. Sometimes they would spend all night talking about nothing, about everything. Sometimes they would just hold each other, or make love.

Once upon a time, Blue would call Yellow by her real name, Melena. And Yellow would call Blue by hers; Linna. These days, however, Yellow could hardly distinguish the alias from the actual person; she was Yellow Diamond. Nothing more, nothing less.

_That_ life was all over now, gone forever. The life the pair lived now was just an existence. Getting from one day to the next, like a forced march that never seemed to end.

Yellow shook her head; she had been sitting in her Escalade in the driveway for about 10 minutes now. Lamenting at the life, she used to have, useless. Move forward, keep going, there is no other way.

She walked to the back entrance of the house and turned the lights on in the small foyer. Usually, she would take the path in the garden to the small guest house in the back, not tonight. Tonight, she had to speak with Blue.

Since their daughter had... Passed, their relationship had deteriorated. Blue had asked for a separation. Yellow didn't even put up a fight; she was never one to deny Blue anything. She was ready to move out entirely, but Blue had a massive breakdown on the day of the move. The compromise was living in the guest house.

Yellow grimaced when she recalled what White said, _"You're so strong, yet so weak when it comes to Blue."_ How could she not be, she loved her wife, even if they were separated.

Yellow walked through the side door, proper when, " _Ah_, Mrs. Diamant, I wasn't expecting you."

Afina, Blue's assistant. Soft-spoken with a dark, shaggy, bob haircut that fell in her eyes, she tended to most of her wife's needs these days.

"I've received some last-minute orders for Blue, from the Director herself. I can't wait." Yellow said as she set her leather messenger bag down and clasped her hands behind her back. White Diamond was rather upset; Blue had her phone turned off. She couldn't be recalled to their offices situated in DC.

"Is she... sober?" Afina winced at the question, and Yellow already knew the answer; no.

"It was a particularly bad day today, Mrs. Diamant." The assistant gave Yellow an apologetic look.

Yellow sighed and nodded. She didn't have the strength to get upset anymore. It was a facet of their lives now, Blue's drinking. She was on anti-depressants and prescription sleeping pills, but she was drinking in excess. Yellow worried constantly, it's the reason why she hired Afina; to help keep tabs on Blue.

"Put some coffee on, please. I'm assuming she's in the master bedroom?"

"She's in your daughter's room." Another contrite look from Afina as she wrung her hands.

Yellow nodded slowly, the puzzle pieces finally fitting together. This was why it was a bad day today; Blue had gone chasing ghosts again. She wanted to tear that room down, but Blue would hear none of it. So, it stayed as it was, a shrine to their dead daughter.

"We'll be in the study Afina, thank you," Yellow said as she turned on her booted heel down the hall.

Past the master bedroom, past the many pictures of Carissa, framed and memorialized on the walls. There was a small part of Yellow that was glad to move into the guest house. Too many reminders of what she had lost were in the main house. When Carissa went missing and was later presumed dead, it was as if she was watching Blue die with her...

She opened the door to her daughter's room; everything was the same as it was when she disappeared in 2004. Dusty textbooks, a high school track uniform tossed on the back of an old recliner. Her senior prom dress wrapped in plastic, still hanging on the door to her closet. (Pink, her favorite color.)

Yellow's gaze finally rested on the desk in the corner; Blue was sitting on the chair slumped on top. She swallowed thickly; this was hell. Literal, actual, hell. She had to get her wife out of this damned room. (Yellow, had to get out of this damned room.)

"Blue? Blue, you need to get up." The voice wasn't stern, but it wasn't gentle either. She put her hand on her wife's shoulder, and finally, she stirred and sat up. She was confused for a moment, looking around and pushing her long silvery locks out of her face. She used to have beautiful cinnamon-brown colored hair, but stress and time had taken its toll.

"Yellow? Wha-what are you d-doing here?" Icy blue bloodshot eyes locked on to Yellow, she wasn't happy. Yellow was hoping this conversation would go smoothly...

Don't argue, get to the point… it wasn't going to be easy. The general wanted to yell and scream at Blue. Make her understand that she was destroying herself. Oh, why couldn't she see that? If she managed to destroy herself that, it would utterly destroy Yellow. _Not now, the mission... _Always the mission.

"White has been trying to reach you all day. She needs you to investigate a possible incident. She tried calling you, but you were busy by the looks of it." Yellow couldn't help it; she just couldn't. She couldn't bite her tongue and _not_ make a passive-aggressive remark. It was an ugly cycle, the way the pair fought now.

"I'm indisposed." Blue laid her head back on her arms.

"You're always indisposed, Blue. You need to move forward; you need to get out of _here_. Christ, it's been 15 years now!" She clenched her jaw; this was going to cause an argument for sure. She could already see the tidal wave rising in Blue Diamond's eyes as she turned to look at Yellow.

"You deserve to move on, to be happy." The last sentence was more of a plea than a statement. Yellow didn't mean to sound so vulnerable, so broken.

"Move on. Move on! How can I move on?! That was our child! _Ours_ ! How can I move on from loving her?!" Blue quickly rose from the chair, knocking it over.

"Oh, how easy it must be for you! To just put _her_ aside. To file her away like one of your mission cases!"

The comment was sharp, and it cut into Yellow's core. She had been judged and found wanting. Blue had been thinking on this for some time now, it seemed.

"You truly believe..." Her voice was hoarse, wracked with pain and grief and loathing. "Do you truly believe I'm so cold-hearted?"

Blue didn't need to say anything; her icy eyes spoke volumes. The fiery rancor drained out of Yellow. The silence drew out between the pair, in their dead daughter's room.

"I... I didn't come here to fight." Yellow looked away from her wife's gaze.

"Yellow, I didn't mean-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Blue covered her mouth as tears seeped down her face. She placed her free hand on the general's arm; it was stark against the woodland camouflage of her combat uniform.

She gathered the woman in front of her into her arms, her own tears threatening to spill over.

"Let's go to the study, I… I don't want to be in here," Yellow said roughly. Blue squeezed her arm in affirmation.

The pair slowly walked down the hall to the nearby study. Afina had already come by and switched on the lamps in the room. A hot pot of coffee and china cups on a tray already set out. (She even brought in Yellow's bag. Afina was a professional.)

Yellow carefully helped Blue sit on an overstuffed brown leather couch. She then poured her a cup of coffee and pressed the saucer and cup in Blue's shaking hands.

"Take a moment, alright? I'm going to pull up the information." The general took a small laptop out of the bag and fired it up.

"What mundane task does White want me to do? It's getting ridiculous; she should have written me off as a lost cause by now." What wasn't said was; _you should have written me off by now_.

"I think you are going to be very interested in this." Yellow brought up the video and turned the lap-top so Blue could see as well.

"_ Keep Beach City weird_? You can't be serious Yellow, this is absurd!" Her wife wasn't angry (thankfully), but she was exasperated.

"I'll be honest, I thought this was a joke too, but White was serious. Then I watched this video here." She hit the play button and waited for Blue's reaction.

It was under 30 seconds and shaky, a video taken by someone with a phone. But it was worthy of investigation. The video was of a thin woman pushing a young man out of the way of some falling fishing equipment. A heroic action, but the woman was clipped by the heavy debris. Typically, you wouldn't expect anyone to recover, but the woman got up and brushed herself off like nothing had happened. She should have been crushed.

Yellow looked over at Blue, who had just finished her coffee. She set the empty saucer and cup down on the table without looking and motioned to the general. Yellow handed the small laptop over to Blue so she could watch the video again. She viewed it three more times before saying anything.

"Is that…"

"White Pearl?" Yellow finished for her wife. She leaned over and finally poured herself some coffee.

"The facial recognition report is located on the desktop." Very little interested Blue Diamond these days. She usually had two moods; hysterical and depressed. It was occasionally interrupted with cold determination when White Diamond called on her for a job. Jobs were few and far between, however.

"It's only a 70% match…" Blue trailed off. Investigation was a specialty of hers. Persuasive and beautiful and _very_ intelligent, she was a natural at getting people to open up to her.

"White wants you to investigate. I was told not to touch this one. She wants a gentle probe and evaluation." Yellow took a long drag from the cup; the coffee was just shy of scalding.

"Okay… alright. I'll go in tomorrow; you're leaving at what time?" Yellow leaned back and looked at Blue. There was a spark in her eyes she hadn't seen in a long while.

"Six, I leave at six." Her lips quirked up a bit, it wasn't quite a smile, but it was miles away from the grimace she usually wore.

Blue nodded and closed the laptop.

**… … … … … … … … … **

Blue hung over the sink heaving, why the _hell_ did she agree to this? It was a quarter to six, and she was in her bathroom mostly dressed in her Air Force blues, and she couldn't even make it out the bedroom door.

She was suffering from withdrawal; it was self-inflicted, and she deserved every bit of it. It had been about eight hours since her last drink. It wasn't too bad now (it was manageable), later though, it could be life-threatening.

She had to plow forward; there was a lead, a chance to avenge her daughter. She _knew_ that woman, White Pearl, was responsible for her daughter's disappearance and death. There was no definitive proof, but she was the only one that was with her the night she disappeared.

Blue Diamond had failed to protect her daughter in life; she would not fail to avenge her death. She straightened up and smoothed out her shirt. Blue checked her hair; she had pulled it back into a regulation bun. Makeup was on point as well. She swore when she realized she only had five more minutes before Yellow would leave. The woman wouldn't go without her, but Blue wouldn't hear the end of it if she were late.

"Mrs. Diamant?" Afina knocked on the door to the bedroom. She was a diligent assistant.

"Come in, Afina." Blue's voice was shaky. Hopefully, it wasn't noticed. The thin woman entered, and for an instant, a wave of surprise washed over her features. It was gone as soon as it appeared; however, she was a professional.

"The general was asking if you were ready, ma'am." Blue walked over to the blazer on the coat hanger by the closet and proceeded to put it on.

"Almost there." Afina nodded at her somewhat nervously. Blue buttoned up the jacket and slipped into her black heels.

"Everything in place?" Blue asked her assistant, pursing her lips.

"You look sharp, Mrs. Diamant. I've placed your briefcase by the door, do you require anything else?" Afina handed Blue her cap.

"No… I'm ready, thank you Afina." The willowy figure nodded and smiled as Blue placed her cap on her head. She briskly walked to the foyer, checking the mirror one last time before stepping out the side door.

She heard a car door open as she walked down the stone pathway, her heals sharply striking the ground. Yellow was securing her bag and cap in the backseat. She made for a dashing figure in her USMC dress blue uniform. Blue pants with a blood stripe down the outside seam, and a khaki long-sleeved shirt with enough starch to cut yourself on.

"Blue…" She had a genuinely astonished look on her face.

Blue didn't say anything. She opened the front passenger door and carefully stepped up into the Escalade. (Making sure her skirt stayed at knee level.) She set her briefcase on the floorboard and strapped her seatbelt before taking off her cap. Yellow climbed in after her and started the vehicle.

The Escalade smoothly rolled out of the driveway and headed towards The Authority's main headquarters. They had about a 20-minute commute from McLean to DC, provided there were no traffic interruptions. But it was the capital and the seat of the US Government, there were _always_ traffic interruptions.

As expected, after driving for a short while, the news traffic radio was reporting an accident on the Capital Beltway. Yellow swore softly and made for I-395… Along with _everyone_ else driving in that area. (There was a reason why the general left two hours early.) Yellow huffed and turned off the air and cracked her window; Blue followed suit.

"You look good today." The general said softly, looking in her direction. She sounded so vulnerable; it was rare for her to let her guard down. It usually took work for anyone to get past the austere woman's stony exterior. But she always revealed herself to Blue, even now despite them being separated.

"I can't go to headquarters looking like a disaster. Especially if I'm going to speak to White." Her stomach was turning itself inside out. The irony was she hadn't eaten anything since midday the previous day. She swallowed thickly and leaned back on the headrest.

"Are you alright?" Yellow was more than a little concerned, Blue could tell by her pitch.

She nodded, and some time passed as they sat in the traffic jam, the news radio droning on and on. Yellow giving her the occasional concerned glance…

Blue wasn't okay.

"We need to pull over, _now_." Yellow didn't question it; she only reacted. The general managed to reverse the Escalade a few precious feet, the car behind them honking the horn.

The problem was they were two lanes away from the exit lane. But somehow Yellow expertly managed to squeeze the large SUV through two rows of bumper to bumper traffic. She then peeled out into the emergency lane, taking the ramp off the interstate.

She sped down the off-ramp and turned into the nearest parking lot. The general skidded to a halt in one of the parking spots, and Blue immediately jumped out and ran into the small grassy area in front of the SUV. There was nothing in her stomach; she was vomiting bile.

Blue steadied herself by placing her left hand on the hood of the car. What a sight, they were in the parking lot of some restaurant with her bent over holding her stomach. The smell of hot pavement and exhaust coming from the nearby interstate in the late August heat.

"Hey," Concern and tenderness made for a heady mixture in Yellow's voice. The Irish woman's head was fuzzy, so she didn't quite register that her wife had managed to steer her back over to the passenger front seat. She sat sideways, feet resting on the sideboard of the vehicle.

"I'm taking you to the emergency room," Yellow spoke as she took Blue's neck tab off and unbuttoned her blazer and shirt collar.

"No! No, I want to go Yellow. I want to do this! I _need_ to do this." Blue grit her teeth as tears tumbled down her face.

"You're having withdrawals! You and I both know how serious this can get." The last time Blue had gone cold turkey was over a year ago, and she started hallucinating.

Yellow's voice was raised, but she held Blue as if she was made of delicate glass. Her left hand resting on Linna's cheek, her thumb stroking the bottom of her jaw. Her right hand clutching the lapel of her blazer. Melena was _terrified_ of losing her.

"Yellow," Blue placed her hand on the general's shoulder, her fingers absentmindedly stroking her corded neck. Her throat was raw, and her voice reflected this.

"I have to do this. If this really is White Pearl? I have to take her in; I have to find closure. Because if I don't, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to recover." This was it, the bare truth. She was desperate to find an end to this nightmare. The nightmare that started 15 years ago with the disappearance and death of their daughter.

Yellow clenched her jaw and looked away from Blue. It was an actuality, and it was painful, like so many other facets of their lives at the moment.

"Okay." The response from the general was rough but exposed as she looked back. She seemed to be in as much pain emotionally as Blue was physically.

"As soon as the meeting is over, I'm calling someone from the medical unit, though." Yellow straightened out Blue's jacket.

Blue twisted around and fastened her seatbelt as Yellow shut the door. The general climbed in the other side and started the SUV. She reached into the center console and pulled out a bottle of water; Blue took it and murmured her thanks.

"You think anyone in the restaurant noticed?" Yellow asked before she pulled out. She was half wincing at Blue.

"Yellow, it's a bloody _Waffle House_. I'm pretty sure people getting sick in their parking lot is a common occurrence here." She leaned her head back on the headrest, looking at her wife, her tone all exasperation.

Yellow shook her head and started to laugh hard and leaned forward, clutching the steering wheel. When she finally looked back at Blue, she had her signature "shark grin" on her face.

"That tickled you, didn't it?" Blue's lips quirked up in a small smile. It was an ugly victory, but she'd take anything at this point.

"Oh, the _god-dammed_ traffic… Let's get out of here before we're late." Yellow finally said, collecting herself. She reached over for Blue's hand and laced their fingers together. It was the first time in a long while the couple had held hands.


	4. Revelations

It was hard to believe, but the hallowed halls of The Authority HQ had been around for well over 60 years now. It was arguably one of the most secretive US Government agencies there was. It had grown from a relatively small group of 150 agents and assets to roughly 10,000 operatives over three divisions.

It was a legitimate working branch of the United States. It had its own museum, memorial ceremonies, awards, and medals. Statues and plaques of dedication. All the benefits of working for the Government were there too; retirement plans, financial aid, student loan repayment plans, healthcare benefits. It even had a gift shop and salon on the first floor.

The Authority HQ was nestled between E Street NW and F Street NW, just catty-corner from FBI building. The pair had made it in record time. But of course, even before they arrived, White Diamond had rescheduled. Yellow Diamond was furious.

"How long has she been this way?" Blue asked softly from the leather couch in Yellow's office. Blue no longer held an office here; this was her first appearance at HQ in years.

"For a long while now." Coffee had been placed on the nearby conference table; she poured a cup for Blue, who graciously accepted. Then she went by the windows and paced a bit, hands clasped behind her back.

"I can't accurately say what's on White's mind these days, she hardly tells me anything," Yellow admitted. She wasn't sure why she was saying this to Blue, the norm for her was manically depressed and grief-stricken.

But there was a shift in her wife today. For one reason or another, she felt as if a part of the woman she used to be had resurfaced. Yellow was clinging to it like flotsam from a shipwreck. Between White's distant attitude and her wife's drinking, life hasn't been easy.

There was a ring, and Yellowed jumped for the phone, "General Diamant, the director is headed for your office now!"

Yellow slammed the phone down and quickly motioned at the door with a jerk of her head. Blue choked on her coffee as she stood up and straightened her skirt. (She'd have to remember to give Amber a raise. She was more partner in crime than assistant these days.)

"Ah, here we are!" Of course, White didn't knock before she entered, she was the director (and she was White Diamond).

"White, we were expecting a more formal gathering than this." Yellow probed cautiously, she was so damn hard to read these days.

"Well, sunbeam, I considered certain aspects of our situation and thought it best to start in _private_." The director said, looking specifically at Blue.

"Moonbeam, it's good to see you up and _sober_." It was a barbed comment delivered in a saccharine voice.

"I have to say you've looked better…" Blue stiffened at the remark, and Yellow clenched her jaw.

"I'm here White, just tell me what needs to be done." Pride bloomed in Yellow's chest; Blue was trying _so_ damn hard.

White strolled over to the front of Yellow's desk and leaned against it, regarding the pair for a moment. She was 95 years old now but only looked like she was maybe in her early 60's standing there in a bone-colored pantsuit and perfect makeup. (Longevity was a trait of having her genetics altered.)

"I'm going to be blunt, Blue. I'm not happy with you, I haven't been for some time. You're an alcoholic and a liability in the field when you do decide to pick up an assignment." Her silver eyes targeting Blue like a hawk would prey.

"Mother! This is hardly the time or pla-," Yellow Diamond began, her fury bursting through a well-disciplined façade. But she was suddenly stopped when White Diamond put up a hand and gave her a warning look.

"However… You are still the best damn investigator and interrogator we have on the books. There isn't a single agent to date that comes close to the results you've gotten when gathering information." She walked over to Blue, completely disregarding Yellow as she passed. Her eyes cutting into the Lt. Colonel.

"That and you have more than a vested interest in capturing this fugitive. All three of us in this room can agree that we're after White Pearl for far more than just stolen information." The director said in a soft icy tone.

"You have three days to get cleaned up. I'm assigning two agents to accompany you to Beach City. They are at your disposal, of course, but they are also there to keep tabs on you. There's a formal briefing at noon in my conference room, don't be late." She gave a final warning glance to Yellow before turning on her heel and striding out the door.

"Blue?" The general walked over to her wife and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. Blue was staring at the floor, her hand covering her mouth; she was trying to digest the situation.

"It's fine, I'm fine." Blue looked at her watch, avoiding Yellow's gaze.

"There's only fifteen minutes before the meeting starts, we should start heading over." Blue went into Yellow's private restroom to freshen up.

The general couldn't help but think that this assignment was going to be quite the ordeal, and she was only marginally involved.

**… … … … … … … … …**

Steven sat in bed with about 500 pillows propping him up so he could watch TV. That was an exaggeration, but his dad pretty much grabbed every free pillow in the house and made sure Steven was using all of them.

It was both endearing and kind of annoying. But the boy understood why his dad was doting on him so much; his life could have ended last night, and it scared the living daylights out of his father.

So, Steven sat in the house watching re-runs of Crying Breakfast Friends and caught up on the latest mods for Minecraft. It was a half-hearted attempt to keep himself busy, though. All he could think about is the discussion Garnet was going to have with him and the family tonight.

He turned off the TV and sighed at the thought.

"You doin' alright, buddy?" Greg was sitting out on the deck of the beach house, silently tuning his guitar.

"I'm good, dad," He yelled down the stairs. He wasn't, but he didn't want his dad worrying any more than he already was.

"Okay, Schtu-ball, try and take a nap." The boy gave another sigh and removed some of the pillows he was lying on.

A small chime, then a buzz from his nightstand, made him jump. Incoming text, finally something to break up the day.

**Connie M:** How are you feeling?

**Steven U:** I'm okay my dad is fussing too much! :/

**Steven U:** You okay?

**Connie M:** Just scrapes.

**Connie M:** Steven, if you didn't push me out of the way…

**Steven U:** It's okay, don't worry about it.

**Steven U:** Just get better so we can go to school in two weeks!

**Steven U:** 7th grade! :0

**Connie M:** Steven, you're my best friend! 3

**Connie M:** I'll come over later this week!

The boy smiled from ear to ear as he put his phone down. Connie was his best friend too. Steven started to settle in again when two familiar voices filtered in through the screen door.

"Uh, I had everything on the list covered." The scratchy exasperated voice was unmistakably Amethyst's.

"We don't need three boxes of Crying Breakfast Friends fruit cereal!" Of course, the emphatic, slightly nasally voice was Pearl's. True to her word, she managed to get out of work a little earlier, it was just before noon.

"Hey'a ladies, what's going on?" Greg said amicably as Steven's guardians drew closer.

"P messing up my grocery shopping, that's what." It was good to hear Amethyst sound like her usual self. She was very subdued before she left to go to the store.

"How's Steven? Has he been resting?" The boy could almost see Pearl wringing her hands.

"I'm fine, Pearl!" Steven finally spoke up. (Finally, they were back.)

He watched as the door opened, and Pearl's head poked in. A gentle, relieved smile spread across her face and light blue eyes as she looked up the stairs. She stepped through and held the door open for Amethyst.

"Yo, Ste-man! You got enough pillows there?" Amethyst chortled as she carried in three bags of groceries. She was followed by Greg who brought in one more bag and a couple gallons of milk.

Pearl let the door close behind her as she hung up her windbreaker and umbrella. She then climbed the stairs to where Steven was.

"Steven, check it out! I got cereal for days bro!" Amethyst said with gusto holding up a multi-colored box with crying fruit caricatures on the front. Steven just laughed at her, he loved when everyone was home.

"Mac n' cheese for Lunch?" The stout woman yelled up to the loft.

"Yes please!" Pearl would make Amethyst cook vegetables along with it, but it was a small compromise.

"How are you doing?" Pearl said softly as she finally made it to the boy's bedside and put a hand on his forehead.

"I'm okay, really." The willowy woman looked at Steven appraisingly. She then carefully carded her hand through his dark curly hair and scratched the back of his head.

"Garnet should be here soon, she texted me on the way home." Pearl picked up some of the pillows that had fallen off the bed and then plucked a few more from the pile behind Steven.

"This is ridiculous." Pearl finally looked properly at all the pillows.

"Dad said he wanted me to be comfortable?" Steven shrugged and the fussy woman sighed as she carried an arm-full of pillows down the stairs.

"Everyone can relax, I have arrived." Garnet stepped into the house and dropped her gym bag and racket on the bench by the door. Amethyst and Greg greeted her in their usual easy fashion; Pearl was in the other room putting pillows away.

Steven couldn't sit in the loft any longer, everybody was home. Everyone came home for him and he was finally going to get some answers about what happened the other night. He gingerly slipped out of bed and made his way down the steps.

"Steven." Garnet regarded the boy from behind mirrored sunglasses, a soft smile splayed on her plump lips.

"Garnet, when can we start talking about what happened?" He latched onto the tall woman's leg as she affectionately placed a hand on his head.

"It's been bothering you all day." It was a statement, not a question. It caught Steven's attention immediately. She lifted the glasses from her eyes and set them on top of her head.

"Let's sit on the couch for a minute, I want to share something before we all settle in." She easily walked over to the couch with Steven clinging to her leg. He chuckled as he let go, and the pair took a seat behind the living room table. Garnet rested her hand on the boy's shoulder and he leaned into her. She smelled like sunblock and soap.

"Greg, is going to go out onto the deck in about a minute and put his guitar away. Amethyst is going to start boiling water for macaroni and cheese, but she's going to get salt and water all over the stovetop." The dark woman was saying all of this into Steven's ear as if it was some sort of conspiracy.

"Then Pearl is going to come out of the bedroom and start fussing at Amethyst about the mess. By the way, we're having broccoli with our macaroni today." Steven looked up at Garnet completely confused.

"Garnet? How did you know we were having macaroni-"

"Just wait and watch." Her breath brushing over Steven's ear.

Events unfolded just as Garnet had said they would. Greg made for the front door (giving Steven some finger guns as he walked by) and began to put his guitar in its case.

Meanwhile, Amethyst filled a pot with some water. She didn't quite clear the sink, and water sloshed out onto the electric stovetop. The stout woman then began to put a few pinches of salt into the water, but more of it got on the counter than in the pot.

"Oh, good, you're home!" Pearl said to Garnet when she popped out of the back bedroom. She had put a more comfortable outfit on; khaki pants and a V-neck shirt with some scuff slippers. She then looked at the mess Amethyst had made.

"Amethyst, really!? You're boiling water, you haven't even gotten to the actual cooking part yet, and you've wrecked the kitchen." The willowy woman said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Jeez P! Do you want to do this? I can just go sit on the couch y'know." Pearl just made an exasperated growl while she went to the freezer and dug out a large bag of frozen broccoli.

Steven sat up and swallowed. He slowly looked up at Garnet, who was simply staring back at him with a knowing expression.

"How? How did you know?" The boy grabbed at the bottom of his pajama shirt. It was a habit of his when he was worried or nervous.

"You know how you always tease me about seeing the future? I can see it in a way." Garnet wasn't whispering anymore. Both Pearl and Amethyst were looking at the two of them sitting on the couch.

"I can see into the immediate future. Events that could happen a couple minutes from now up to a few hours. Nothing is for certain, though, circumstances change constantly." The tennis instructor turned slightly in her seat, placing both hands on Steven's shoulders.

"We all have abilities similar to this. Some of them are the same to one degree or another, some of them unique." Garnet looked over to Pearl. The thin woman set down the broccoli and disappeared! Or so it seemed to Steven.

"Where!?" He then felt a tap on his shoulder; light seemed to bend as Pearl re-appeared. She was crouching right next to him. There was a pause as he looked into his guardian's pale blue eyes.

"W-what can you do, Amethyst?" The stout woman just smiled, her violet eyes lighting up. She looked at the door as Greg walked in.

"Hey, gang, it got pretty quiet in here; what's going on?" Amethyst quickly leaped over to Steven's father and lifted him up over her head with seemingly no issue.

"Wha-wait!" It surprised his dad, but it seemed like he was familiar with situations like this to begin with. Amethyst then jumped back over to the kitchen counter and easily set Greg on one of the stools.

"Take a seat, Greg!" She said with a toothy grin.

"You've started talking to Steven about who you guys really are." Steven's dad gave a nervous smile and shrugged.

"Do you have powers, too, dad?" The boy's eyes were wide with wonder and curiosity.

"No, buddy, I'm just a regular guy. I don't know how this works exactly, but I think you get your powers from your mom's side." He rested his hands on his knees and looked warmly at his son.

"Ah, well, that's what we're guessing too. Steven, usually only woman can be gifted the way we are, that's why we're a bit confused at the moment." Pearl chimed in, her fingers scratching Steven's back reassuringly.

"Steve-O, think you can do what you did last night? Make that shield?" Amethyst said, leaning on the counter next to his dad.

Steven got up and padded over to the center of the room. He looked at his family: Garnet nodding confidently at him while Pearl knelt nearby, her hands clasped to her chest in concern. His dad on the stool scratching the thick stubble on his chin and Amethyst with her warm, playful violet eyes.

What did he do exactly? It happened so fast; the truck screeching, Steven seeing his surprised face in the chrome of the bumper. He put up his hands, he was going to get hit…

Like before, he threw up his hands in defense, and a pink colored barrier materialized before him. It was bright, and he could see through it! Steven also instinctively knew that nothing could easily penetrate it. Everyone in the room was gaping at him.

"Whoa, Steven," Amethyst was closest, and she was in awe. She walked in front of him and rapped on the bulwark with her knuckles. He looked at the others, surprise and worry painted on his face. Pearl and Garnet had gotten up and were now looking at what was going on.

"It looks like Rose's shield," Pearl said, tears falling from her eyes.

Steven felt something in the back of his head, almost like a muscle being pulled. He dropped his hands, and the shield blinked out of existence.

"What does this mean?" Steven said with a shaky voice. He had tears in his eyes (he hated to see anyone in his family cry).

"It means that you're a Gem Steven." Garnet finally said after a long moment.


	5. Sneeple!

**So this has been a bit of a slow burn. That's mostly because it's an AU fic. But things are really going to start picking up in the next chapter or so.** **Excelsior!**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

Steven sat on the beach underneath the house, his hand clutching the bottom of his shirt, eyes distant. He'd just gotten finished telling Connie everything that happened a day ago. About the car accident (Connie didn't see exactly what happened, she was shoved out of the way). About the glowing barrier, Steven put up that saved his life and about the Gems.

The girl just looked at him, her eyes wide behind her rose-colored glasses. "Steven, that's…"

"Hard to believe? I know." It was overwhelming; he didn't know how to take it. Everyone just carried on like usual. Then again, Garnet had said to keep it a secret. Her words echoing in his head.

"_There are many people that wouldn't understand. People that would take you away from us, you have to be careful, Steven._"

"You want to see, don't you?" The boy said to his best friend after she made a "pinky swear" to keep it a secret. He could trust Connie; they were jam buds. (Plus, the "pinky swear" was a legally binding agreement.)

The girl nodded enthusiastically and sat up on her knees. Steven looked around in front of him for a second, making sure the beach was clear. His house was relatively isolated behind a cliff, the property was owned by his dad. Greg always bragged that he got it for cheap, a rickety house with an acre of beach property. But that was because Beach City wasn't even close to the tourist attraction it is now. (Mayor Dewy made sure his city was a success after he took office.)

Even though the house and beach were private property, it didn't deter beachgoers from walking through the area. (Despite Pearl's "Private Property" signs.) When Steven was confident that they were well and truly alone, he showed Connie his powers. He put up his left hand and…

"Whoa, Steven!" A soft pale pink light cut through the shadows underneath the house as Connie looked on in astonishment.

"Can I?" She raised a hand, unsure.

"Yeah, it's okay, go ahead!" The girl made a fist and knocked on the barrier as if she was knocking on a door. It made a hollow, almost musical tone. A second later, Steven dropped the bulwark.

"That's incredible! Do you have other powers?" Connie said excitedly, a grin on her face.

Steven smiled; he was anxious about telling his friend anything at all. He was afraid that she wouldn't want to hang out anymore or run away. Especially after what Garnet and the others said about people not understanding. But it was Connie! And he needed someone that wasn't his family to talk to. Connie was a kid like him, she understood.

"I'm supposed to be able to do more stuff, but Garnet and Pearl said I shouldn't strain myself. At least until I get my stitches out." The boy absent-mindedly put a hand on the bandage over his left eyebrow. It was starting to heal already; the bruise was fading from dark purple to a sort of green color around the edges.

"You're like a superhero, but for real!" Connie was almost bouncing; it was every kid's fantasy to have secret superpowers.

"Yes, it must remain a secret. I must protect the ones I love…" Steven jumped up and put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, trying to look stoic and dramatic at the same time.

"Can I be your sidekick?" She said, laughing and standing up along with Steven.

"Not a sidekick, but a partner!" Steven looked over as Connie put her hands on her hips as well. The girl looked back, and the pair started laughing.

"Well, partner, it's past noon, and I'm hungry!" The boy finally said, glancing at his phone. He looked mischievously at Connie.

"Fry bits?" Steven said, cocking a dark eyebrow at her.

"Fry bits!" Connie said, confidently adjusting her glasses.

The children ran out from underneath the house and trampled up the wooden stairs to the deck.

"What is going _on_, you guys? You sound like a freaking stampede." Amethyst groaned, her eyes half-closed, dosing.

She was lying on the thickly padded bench inside the house by the front windows. She had a couple of magazines and a blanket with her pillow. Steven winced a bit, he forgot that she had to work tonight. Amethyst was a bartender at the Ocean Inn Tavern; she started work at five in the evening and got home around two in the morning.

"Sorry, Amethyst, but I got a question. Can Connie and I go to Beach Citywalk fries?" It was a dicey question, after the car accident. (It had only been three days.)

"I don't know Steve-O, Pearl said that you can't go out on your own until your 20." The stout woman rolled over on her side and gave him a sleepy gaze through the screen in the window. Steven knew the tone; she was playful but serious at the same time.

"Only till you're 20? My mom said I can't cross the street till I'm 30…" Connie said, pursing her lips.

A deep chuckle erupted from Amethyst at the comment. She raked a tan hand through her feathery white hair before she answered.

"Oh man, you're a riot, Connie, till you're _30_. Well, if you stick to the boardwalk and come back in exactly one hour, I'll let ya go. Deal?"

"Deal! Uh, want anything?" Steven added as he started for the stairs.

"Naw little dude, just come back in one hour. I'm setting the timer." Amethyst leaned back and pulled out her phone.

"Don't… Make me come looking for you. I mean it." Once again, Amethyst contrasted herself, sounding serious but looking playful.

"Don't worry, Amethyst. Steven and I won't let you down." Connie said while skipping down the stairs. Steven hopping after her.

"We'll be back soon!" The boy waved and joined his best friend.

**… … … … … … … … …**

It was a charming little town on the coast with a decent sized beach and boardwalk. One could even call it a hidden gem. Once upon a time, Blue Diamond may have also sought out a quiet, small-town like this for a weekend get-away. That was no longer the case, however.

She sighed and took a drag from her coffee. Blue was on the fourth floor of the Home Sweet Hotel… hotel. She had a lovely view of the boardwalk and the beach from her perch. The lodgings were quaint; if she were on one of the lower floors, she would have gotten a unique perspective of the dumpsters and the alley behind the restaurants.

A small suite was reserved for her; a bedroom and bathroom separate from a modest living area. She sat at the small desk near the window in her bathrobe and slippers. (It was just past nine in the morning.) The television was on in the background, 24-hour news playing low and steady. She couldn't complain too much; clean room and decent food with friendly service.

The small amount of info she had was in front of her. A shaky, blurry video on an obscure website that was less than 30 seconds. Some questionable identification software that hadn't given a solid report. Blue had done investigations on less information before, but these circumstances would definitely be in her "Top 5" list.

This was where she had to work miracles. She'd have to do a deep dig and rely on the locals for information. That could become capricious if she weren't careful; in small communities such as Beach City, word can travel fast about someone asking questions.

Blue would have to cast a wide net with the help of Agent Aqua Marine. The Beryl class Gem had a spotless record, she used to work directly under Blue Diamond. But Blue always thought she was a little too ambitious… She shook the thought from her mind.

So, who maintained Keep Beach City Weird?

Blue looked at the specifics of the blog, and the name Ronaldo Fryman came upon the "Ask Me" link. The colonel picked up a seemingly innocuous thumb drive and plugged it into her laptop. A secure, encrypted wireless connection to the Authority network was established, and Blue began researching the name.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so much considering the content of the blog), young Ronaldo Fryman had a rather extensive criminal record. Nothing serious, just a lot of nonsense. Trespass, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, one or two vandalism charges. All misdemeanors, there was just… _a lot_ of them.

There was a single charge for simple assault; Blue opened the file and got a small notebook and pen ready. She took a sip of her coffee and then choked after the police report loaded.

The police statement had the colonel gaping at her computer in disbelief. Ronaldo Fryman had (for whatever reason) the belief that one of the owners of Cone and Son was a snake person or "sneeple." He thought that the gentleman was going to bite and enslave Ronaldo and his family with his sneeple venom.

Ronaldo confronted the business owner and claimed that he was performing a citizen's arrest. Then proceeded to attack the business owner in his car with potatoes from the Beach Citywalk Fries restaurant.

Ultimately Ronaldo Fryman was charged with simple assault and property damage. An order of protection was put in place for a year. (It expired in three months.) Then there was a civil suit in Small Claims Court for the damage done to the car…

The profile of this young 18 year old was becoming clear. He was a conspiracy theorist and seemed to be paranoid. Blue could play that card a few different ways. She finished her coffee and proceeded to get ready. Beach Citywalk Fries was the only lead she had right now unless Aqua Marine found something when she went to case the city this morning.

One final look in the mirror; she had on a cobalt skirt that fell just below the knees and a pair of flats along with a pale blue casual button-down shirt. She grabbed her hooded sweatshirt and messenger bag and took the stairs to the lobby. Unsurprising, Aqua Marine was on her way to give the colonel her status and any findings.

"Blue Diamond, I trust your night was pleasant?" Blue regarded the woman for a moment. She was short in stature and wore a pleated navy-blue skirt with a blazer. She had a perfectly straight bob haircut and bangs.

"It was adequate," She stepped closer to the diminutive woman.

"Did you find anything interesting when you cased the town this morning?" Blue said softly, so those in earshot would have a hard time hearing.

"No, by all appearances, this is just another droll coastal town. Nothing remarkable about it at all. Even the locals are terribly common." The woman had a sharp British accent as she was originally from London. It made her comments sound incredibly condescending, even more so than they already were.

"Hopefully, you're having better luck than I am." She added with a sniff.

"I'm going to follow up with the owner of the blog. He has a colorful criminal record. I hope to scratch up at least a couple leads from him. For now, just keep a low profile." Blue adjusted the strap on her bag and looked towards the door.

"Ma'am, if I may?" Blue turned back to her agent.

"It is my distinct pleasure to serve under you again. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on me." There was a very visceral glint in the woman's eyes. It was unsettling.

"Thank you, agent, we'll meet up tonight and compare notes." Aqua Marine grinned and gave a slight nod before disappearing up the stairs.

Blue proceeded to walk through the hotel lobby doors and shook the unsettled feeling off. The problem with Aqua was she was overzealous; her means always met her ends, and she could be cruel when working in the field. She had half a mind to call back to HQ and see if someone else could be sent out here. But White Diamond had handpicked the diminutive woman for a reason. She didn't know what reason, but there was one for sure.

Blue Diamond looked at her watch; it was a little bit before noon. The perfect time to hit a particular food stall on the boardwalk.

**… … … … … … … … …**

"They have a simple but solid hierarchical system. It's the biggest conspiracy there is! The Aluminati are nothing compared to sneeple." Blue Diamond regretted the conversation she began with Ronaldo Fryman.

There were a few ways one could approach getting information from a potential target. Blue posed herself as a fellow conspiracy theorist and got quite a response from the teenager. But now, he wouldn't shut up. Adding insult to injury, none of the information he gave was relevant to the video on his blog.

Blue now leaned on the side counter of the fry stand and tried to politely listen to the over-excited Ronaldo. His curly blonde hair bouncing with every feverish movement. At least the fries were good (excellent really).

"And that's how they indoctrinate you!" Blue snapped up from her roaming thoughts.

"Thank you, Mr. Fryman. You seem to be a very well informed young man. It's rare to find someone so... passionate about what they believe in." Blue said, trying desperately to close the conversation.

"Heya' Peedee! You know what we want?" Ronaldo's younger brother was taking orders and generally doing work while Blue spoke to his intense older brother. Two young customers had come up to the front window. Blue was going to take the opportunity to break free.

"Oh man, come on, Steven… Do you have to do that every time?" The younger Fryman groused out the window.

"You know I have to, it's tradition." A young boy's voice filtered over to the colonel. She didn't have the best view as she was standing at the side counter. He had a curiously melodic voice, though; it was warm, inviting.

"Give me the bits!" A loud thump ensued after the command was given.

"Jeez man, okay. Give us a minute. Ronaldo!" Peedee shouted, voice cracking as he did so, "Stop slacking and get two orders of bits ready. Dad's already going to be mad at you for not doing the inventory today."

Blue sighed in relief. Finally, she could escape. She turned her head to at least give Ronaldo a proper goodbye but noted a distinctly suspicious expression on his face.

"Wait... You're one of them, aren't you?" The 18 year old said, voice low.

"Hardly young man. It's been an interesting conversation, thank you for humoring me." Blue said, arching a cautious eyebrow.

"You're a sneeple! You came to make sure I wasn't a threat to your overlord's grand plan!" The younger Fryman quickly grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him into the walk-in freezer.

"Ronaldo, NO! You've gotten in enough trouble; dad will kill you. Go and do the inventory, I'll do orders!" Peedee managed to get Ronaldo to the walk-in freezer and gave Blue a contrite grin and waved. The older woman just nodded in return and made to leave.

Blue had gotten all of three feet away when the side door to the fry shop burst open. "Sneeple hate water! Take this!"

Ronaldo had grabbed the hose from the side of the building and was aiming it directly at Blue Diamond. Hardly the sort of danger she was used to but… The familiar hiss of water pressure being released could be heard.

"No!" The colonel felt someone push her from waist level, and it was enough force to make her stumble back four or five steps. Blue put up her arm as a chaotic spray of water hit the cement and the child that had pushed her.

"Ronaldo, stop!" The younger Fryman had come out and kinked the hose behind his brother halting the watery assault.

"Steven! You ruined my chance to prove to the world that sneeple exist!" The 18 year old said frantically as he dropped the water hose.

"No, I stopped you from spraying a person that came to Beach City for a visit! That's not cool, Ronaldo." The young man was wearing a faded red t-shirt with a yellow star on the front, red sandals and jeans. He had a mass of dark curly hair that was now wet along with the front of his shirt. He also had a bandage just over his left eyebrow with an ugly looking bruise just underneath.

"I'm calling dad!" Peedee said as he ran into the shop.

"No! He'll dock my pay again!" Ronaldo yelled as he followed his brother

Blue looked back over to the boy as he rung out the end of his shirt. He gave her a shrug and a sheepish smile.

"Uh, sorry for pushing you, I didn't want you to get soaked." There was that pleasant musical voice again.

"Ronaldo, he's not a bad person. Just intense." The boy's companion added. She was wearing a sundress with white sneakers. She had big brown eyes underneath rose-colored glasses.

"Well, thank you for the impromptu rescue." The older woman watched as the boy blushed and gave her one of the most charming smiles she'd ever seen.

Blue couldn't help herself; she crouched in front of the boy and gave him a smile in return. The voice in the back of her head reminding her she should be working, but this boy reminded her of…

"My name is Blue, and you are?" She held out an elegant hand as arctic blue eyes met warm brown eyes.

"Steven! Steven Universe." The smile never left his face as he took her hand and squeezed.


	6. Articles of Interest

**We're at the top of the first hill on this roller coaster.**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

"So, you're here on vacation?" Steven said while stuffing his mouth full of fry bits. The trio made their way down the boardwalk a bit and took a seat on a set of wooden stairs that led to the soft white sand on the beach.

"Err, yes. Just for a week or so, I needed to get away." The boy noted the deflection; usually, someone would give more detail about why they were on vacation or how and why they ended up in the spot they were visiting. He was young, not stupid.

He regarded the older woman for a moment; something seemed to be weighing her down. Some invisible burden that brought down Blue's entire being. She wasn't old per se, she looked like she could be younger than his dad in all actuality.

But there were dark circles under her icy colored eyes, and her enervated face was framed by silvery-white hair. Even in the full light of the afternoon sun, she looked wan. The name fit, she seemed to embody the color blue.

"Well, you picked the right week for it! There's tons to do the last couple weeks off before school starts." The woman arched an eyebrow and gave him a gentle smile. It was nice to see some of the heaviness in her lifting just a little.

"Oh, where should I start then?" Blue took a sip from her soda as she intently listened to the boy. She appreciated not being drenched by Ronaldo so much she purchased Steven and Connie's lunch and drinks.

"There's the fireworks this weekend!" Connie said, excitedly. Every other weekend until Labor Day, there were fireworks on the beach. (Friday _and_ Saturday.) The last blow out before the fall season.

"Yeah, then there's all the stores on the boardwalk and Funland over by the docks. There's also a World War II fort up the coast." Steven was sitting next to Blue on the top step. He motioned for her to lean in a little closer, Connie doing the same from the opposite side.

"There's underground wrestling matches at the old warehouse." The boy finished in a hoarse whisper. Blue raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh, that's right! The Good-Looking Gang is going up against the Wolves of Wallstreet this Friday!" The girl said, crumpling up her now empty bag of fries.

"Connie, that's tomorrow, we have to go! I can get dad to take us." Steven said, wide-eyed.

"I can't, I have dinner at my cousin's house." The girl sighed and shook her head slightly.

"Awwww…" Steven huffed and crossed his arms. Blue actually chuckled at the exaggerated expression; her face lighting up significantly.

"So, there's far more to do here than at first glance. Alright." The woman sat up straight and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Uh, I could show you around a little on if you want?" Steven couldn't put his finger on it, but Blue seemed so sad to him. Maybe he could help, he had a real talent for reading people. He could get them to open up and listen if need be. Blue looked like she needed someone like that, a friend.

"I-err," She looked away for a moment, the same weight from before seemed to be crushing her now. The boy noticed her taking a deep breath, then letting it out.

"I'd like that, actually." The older woman finally said, nodding.

"Okay, it's a date then!" The boy grinned at Blue, who smiled in turn. It was undeniable that smiling wasn't something she did often…

"I'll meet you here at noon. I mean, if that's cool with you?" Steven said, placing a hand on Blue's forearm.

"It is." She patted the boy's hand resting on her arm.

"Steven! We're going to be late if we don't hurry!" Connie said, looking at her phone.

"Oh, man!" The young man jumped up and hopped down the wooden steps.

"I'll see you tomorrow Blue! We gotta go before we get in trouble." Steven waved as he ran.

"Thank you for lunch, ma'am!" Connie said as she bolted after Steven.

Blue stood as she waved at the children, "It was… my pleasure..."

**… … … … … … … … … **

She opened the door to her room (which had been serviced while she was out) and put the "Do Not Disturb" sign up. Blue then closed and bolted the door shut. She rested her head against the smooth brown wood for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

_What was she doing_? Using a young boy, a minor, for gathering information. As a general rule, she didn't involve anyone under the age of 16. Steven was maybe all of 13?

She knew the answer to the question, she didn't want to admit it. The boy reminded her of Carissa… So much so that she couldn't help herself. It was almost perverse.

Blue threw her bag down violently next to the door and gathered her hooded sweatshirt around her. She looked over at her own laptop, she needed to file a status update on her progress. The boy would need to be included in the report.

She situated herself at the office desk and connected to the Authority's core network. It took all of 15 minutes to tack out the document. The next steps were to find the location of the incident; Blue would assign Aquamarine to do that first thing in the morning. Then Blue would see what information she could find with the assistance of Steven Universe.

The colonel had the mouse cursor hovering over the send button… This felt wrong. She saved the report instead and terminated the encrypted connection to the Authority's network. Google would be her partner in crime tonight.

In the search bar on the pleasantly sterile screen, she typed in the boy's name: Steven Universe. The search didn't hit on the boy's name but his father's: Greg Universe. Multiple articles from the mid 90's all the way up to the 2000's showed the full life cycle to the man's musical career. (Albeit brief.)

Blue skimmed through a couple articles; she even remembered hearing some of his music on the radio from time to time. The latest article dated 2 years ago almost to the day was from Rolling Stones; "Where Are They Now?"

_Loud guitars and even louder clothes. Big vocals and dreadlocks. There's no denying that the '90s rocked. But what are the gods of flannel, alternative, and grunge metal doing today? Let's find out ... starting with Mr. Universe. _

_There's no doubt that everyone remembers the single "Let Me Drive My Van into Your Heart" from Mr. Universe didn't quite fit the grunge-alternative genre of the time. But it hit the number one spot on the charts, all the same, earning him a gold record. But soon after, Mr. Universe dropped off the music scene altogether. _

_These days Greg Universe has settled down in Beach City, owning a successful car wash and taking care of this his 10 year-old son, Steven Universe._

A pleasant enough article that gave a bit more insight; Steven was just 12 years of age. Blue felt a guilty knot tightening in her stomach.

She shouldn't involve the boy at all. But she had to find out what happened to her daughter and find White Pearl. Right now, Steven could help if only by proxy. That, and he reminded her of…

A hot wave of sorrow and self-loathing washed over Blue as she rested her head in her hands. She should call White Diamond right now and say she couldn't do this; she was emotionally compromised.

She glanced over to her phone, and something on the computer screen caught her eye. "Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Crash in Beach City."

Why did this come up in the search? The colonel followed the link to the Delmarva Chronicle.

_A child suffered minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle Sunday evening._

_The Sheriff's Office says they investigated a vehicle vs. pedestrian crash with injuries around 5:37 p.m._

_According to a report, the sheriff's office says a 62 year-old man was driving when he struck a 12 year-old Beach City boy who was running across Thayer St._

_The Beach City boy, Steven Universe, suffered minor injuries and was released from the local hospital the same night._

_The operator of the vehicle was not injured, and the sheriff's office did not announce any citations in the crash._

_Local Mayor Bill Dewey made the following statement: "It's a busy time a year, and everyone's safety is a top priority! We'll all have to be a little bit more diligent."_

Blue gasped when she saw the vehicle in question. It was utterly mangled! This was a full-sized pick-up truck, and it was totaled, there was no doubt in her mind. All this wreckage from one 12 year-old boy?

Steven should not have been able to walk away from that accident. He should be in far worse shape, if not…

The colonel narrowed her eyes, thinking. First the strange video at the docks and now this car accident. It could be coincidence; stranger things have happened.

Blue's instincts as an investigator were saying otherwise. She may have inadvertently stumbled onto something.

**… … … … … … … … … **

The older woman sat on one of the many benches available on the boardwalk, intent on following up on her side of the investigation. The colonel looked at her phone; it was just past noon. She sighed and tossed the phone into her bag.

Before she left the hotel, she had tasked Aquamarine with casing the docks. It was where the video on Keep Beach City Weird was captured. It made sense to at least go and look over there and maybe ask one or two questions if possible.

She uncrossed her legs and smoothed out her khaki capris and adjusted the dark blue polo she was wearing. This was a long shot, following this boy around town, but she was so damn sure there was something to this.

Maybe she just wanted there to be a connection…

"Heya, Blue!" Steven was literally bounding down the boardwalk, his face flushed from running. He was wearing the same outfit as yesterday only now he had a backpack with him.

He stopped directly in front of Blue and leaned over, resting one hand on his knee while holding out a single finger as he caught his breath.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to make sure it was okay for me to be out." The boy finally said.

"It's no bother Steven, I imagine your parents are a little skittish after what happened earlier this week. I trust you're feeling better?" Blue cocked her head and scrutinized the bandage over Steven's left eye.

She was curious, dreadfully so. But also, a little concerned; the boy had remarkable fortitude to be up and about. He undoubtedly was still recovering from a concussion.

"Oh, you know about that?" He blushed and gave the older woman a sheepish look.

"It was in one of the local papers. I saw the wreck; you are _very_fortunate." She scrutinized the boy with a gentle look. Blue was having such a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Steven was up and about.

"I'm fine, really Blue. I was really lucky. Now I'm here with you!" It was apparent Steven didn't want Blue to fuss over him.

"So, I was thinking we could start on this side of the boardwalk and work our way down? Unless you had a specific spot, you wanted to go to first?" He was a sweet and funny boy like… No, don't go there.

"My boy, I've all day to spend with you. Give me the grand tour." She smiled at him as she stood and picked up her own bag.

"Alright, beach summer fun buddies! Com'on, this way!" Steven ran down the way, motioning for Blue to follow. She just now noticed his backpack was a cheeseburger; how was this boy so cute?

**… … … … … … … … …**

It had been a great day. The first day in many, many, many years she'd actually enjoyed. The forest, the park, the boardwalk. They had just finished in the arcade; both of them had lost a ridiculous amount of money, but it was all in good fun.

It was now dusky out (bordering on dark), and Steven had brought out a blanket that was carefully folded in his cheeseburger backpack. He made to spread it out on top of the sand of the beach, but of course, he struggled. Blue only laughed and helped to straighten it out.

"Alright, almost time for fireworks. This is the best spot; they almost shoot up over you. Also, we got here just in time, it gets crowded." The boy plopped down and kicked off his sandals and patted the empty spot on the blanket next to him.

"We got our stuff from the Big Donut," Blue held up her coffee and sat as she removed her own shoes. Steven brought out his juice and some chaaps.

"Now the most important part… Glow bracelets! I got you one." The woman was touched, honestly. She gently took the glowing neon blue adornment and fastened it to her right wrist.

"Thank you, Steven." She murmured, looking away at the sky. A canopy of violet was starting to cover the sky with a few orange puffy clouds floating near the horizon.

Steven was an incredibly articulate and sensitive child. Blue did glean a lot of information about the town like she set out to do, but now… Her time with him was at an end, and it was painful to admit.

"Hey, Blue? You're, ah, pretty down, aren't you?" The boy was lying on the blanket with his hands behind his head, his warm brown eyes boring into Blue's.

"Picked up on that, didn't you?" She said she laid down on her side, resting her head on her left arm.

"I lost someone… A while ago. Everyone says I should be over it, but I'm really not." Blue didn't have a clue why she was telling this boy anything. But he was so easy to talk to, and even though he may not understand, he would try. That was far more than most people would do.

The boy hummed in thought, "You know when you go through tough times, you're allowed to be sad, and you're allowed to cry. But you're not allowed to give up, no matter how bad you want to."

Blue looked away sharply, tears streaming down her face. For some reason, she needed to hear that. No one had told her this since her daughter's death, and she desperately needed to hear it. Everyone said to pick up and move on, but she couldn't, and no one understood.

A 12 year-old boy she barely knew was the one to say it, the one to understand…

"You're still here, so you haven't given up, Blue. I think you're doing pretty okay." The woman looked back over at Steven. He was gazing at some distant point in the sky as a light breeze tousled his dark curls.

"You're a very insightful young man, Steven." The woman was wiping away the carnage that was on her face as she spoke.

"Ahh!" A loud jingle came from Steven's pocket. He sat up and looked apologetically at the older woman. He pulled out his phone and answered.

"Hey, I'm at the beach. I'm watching the fireworks with a friend!" The boy smiled as he looked over at Blue. She gazed back and gently brushed some unruly curls from Steven's forehead.

"Don't worry, I'll come right home when I'm done. Love ya' boo!" The boy gave an exasperated sigh.

"Your parents love you, Steven, it's a good thing." Blue assumed it was one of his parents.

"Hmm, I don't have a nuclear family. I got my dad, but my mom died when I was born." The older woman was surprised, she simply assumed that he had a family like everyone else.

"Steven, I'm so sorry…"

"Oh, it's okay, Blue! I'm lucky I have more than one guardian." He grinned.

"That just happened to be Pearl, she's super fussy, but I love her."

Blue Diamond choked on her coffee and sat up abruptly, "Hey, you okay?"

The older woman covered her mouth and held up her hand, signaling to give her a moment. Could it be her target? Could it be _her_ Pearl…?

"Steven, it just occurred to me I hardly know anything about you. Why don't you tell me about your family?"


	7. Rumble at the Docks

Garnet served the tennis ball and slammed it over the net. She'd been at it all morning; a client had abruptly canceled their appointment, so now she had an empty block of time in her schedule. It was just as well; it was a cloudy Saturday, and it looked like rain was coming in.

She threw one more tennis ball up in the air… Then bolted for the chain-link fence. She scaled it quickly and ran right into a black SUV whose occupants were starting to pour out of the doors. Garnet, of course, was not going to wait.

She held out her fists, feeling the power coursing through them and slammed it into one of the opening doors. The vehicle rolled over not once but twice as its armed occupants screamed at the sudden change in juxtaposition.

She gave a quick smile at the victory and attempted to bolt for the nearby woods only to be surrounded by two more SUV's and a black town car. Garnet wouldn't be able to get out of this one unscathed.

"I think that's enough, my dear." It was painful, every muscle, tendon, and bone seized in place. Garnet began to sweat as a light blue halo of light surrounded her. Dread ran up the column of her throat; Garnet recognized the voice. Aquamarine, one of the most ruthless and cruel agents the Authority had to offer.

The tennis instructor grit her teeth as a tall, bulky operative in a black pantsuit, and spiky short platinum hair walked up and roughly put her in cuffs.

"Put a full harness on this one, Topaz, we wouldn't want any more damaged vehicles."

**… … … … … … … … …**

A double shift. She had to work a freaking double shift! Why couldn't the manager hire any reliable help? Amethyst grumbled under her breath as she brought the trash out to the back alleyway behind the bar.

She kicked a plastic crate over to the dumpster and tossed the garbage bags in. "This sucks," she muttered as she hopped down. One day she would have her own bar and wouldn't have to deal with bad hires. Amethyst just wouldn't tolerate it. It'd taken her years, but she had a tidy nest egg in the local bank, soon she could have her bar on the beach…

"Funny, you should have thrown yourself in there, because that's where you belong." A woman stood in front of Amethyst, not too much taller than herself in a pleated skirt and blazer. She saw a blue flash and reacted instantly.

She did a forward roll and grabbed her attacker's arm tossing her over her shoulder. The woman in the blazer landed eight feet away in the dumpster, hard, making a loud metallic bang.

Amethyst just grinned as she looked over her shoulder, "Don't know who you are, but I always take out the trash bitch-"

The bartender wasn't looking where she was running, and someone else (someone large) grabbed her by the front of her shirt, lifted her up, and smashed their head into her face.

Amethyst saw stars, then blackness.

**… … … … … … … … …**

"Did you get everything on the list?" Pearl asked Steven while cocking a critical eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, pretty much. Umm, but there's some weird stuff on it." The 12 year-old sat on an old wooden crate, kicking his legs. He had his cheeseburger backpack sitting next to him as he watched one of the seagulls on the dock warily.

The willowy woman pursed her lips and held out a hand while resting the other one on her hip. Steven gave a small frown and pulled the battered school supplies list out of his back pocket.

It was pretty standard; markers, crayons, scissors, protractor, solar calculator… One package of #3 pencils pre-sharpened. Unusual, but not impossible. 15 glue sticks… (15!?)

"Gluten-free paint!? Are they serious? This is seventh grade! Nobody should be eating paint!" A blotchy blush rose across the woman's cheeks as her pale blue eyes narrowed.

"I guess they just want to make sure?" Steven offered, trying to be positive. Pearl sighed and smiled ever so slightly; her boy always looked for the positive in every situation.

"Did you take all your medicine this morning?" She folded up the list and carefully placed it in the pocket of her apron. Pearl checked her watch, 20 more minutes till her break ends; two more hours till her shift ends.

She leaned on the crate that Steven was sitting on and brushed some curls behind his ear. She always felt especially guilty on the days he was on his own; everyone had to work today, leaving the boy to his own devices.

"Hear me out Pearl; ever since I learned I had powers and started using them? I haven't had any bad headaches. Besides, those pills make my stomach upset sometimes," The woman nodded and looked out over the docks watching the fishing trawlers move.

"It makes sense, I've known others who had similar symptoms when their abilities first emerged." She looked back at Steven.

"Really!? Like who?" The boy had stars in his eyes.

"Rose did for one, she used to get them all the time."

"You knew mom before she had her powers?" Pearl hummed.

"I met her just as she was coming into her abilities. She was a special lady, your mother."

"Rose Quartz was special because she managed to escape the law for as long as she did. She was singularly gifted in that respect; I'll give her that much." Pearl's head snapped up as a figure in a black duster, and Kevlar armor walked down the docks towards the pair.

"Steven, run! Go to your dad's carwash now!" Pearl grabbed Steven and set him on the ground while pushing his backpack into his arms. Her gaze never leaving the figure standing on the docks.

"Wha-Blue? What are you doing here?" Pearl's head swiveled over to Steven then back to Blue Diamond.

"Steven, you should listen to Pearl. You shouldn't be involved, you should go to your father's where you'll be safe." Blue glanced at the boy, her gaze softening for just a second before turning back into jagged ice.

"Blue, what's going on?" The 12 year-old clutched at his backpack but made no move to leave.

Pearl had no idea how her Steven knew Blue Diamond (honestly it was giving her heart palpitations), but she needed him to leave. Now.

"Steven, go. I don't know how you met her, but this woman is dangerous." Another quick glance towards the boy, the look was caught between panic and anger.

"I'm dangerous? Me?" Blue's voice raised a few octaves as an azure corona enveloped her left hand. Her arctic colored eyes glowing brightly. "You are the one that killed Carissa, my daughter! And I'm dangerous!?"

"Run!" Pearl pushed Steven into a nearby sandy bank as she ran and dove off the side of the docks underneath them. She might be able to lose Blue Diamond in the darkness, but she wasn't sure. God, she hoped Steven ran away…

It was low tide, the wet sand and seaweed made for poor movement, but it was the only shot Pearl had. "You can't hide from me! I will find you, murderer!"

Murderer? Pearl was a murderer, the nerve! The Lt. Colonel had taken far more lives than Pearl ever had. The sound of wood violently breaking and splitting interrupted her thoughts. Blue Diamond didn't even bother going around to the side, she just cut through the sun-bleached walkway. The dark and salty wooden labyrinth was now awash in an eerie azure glow as Blue Diamond began prowling for Pearl.

The willowy woman took a deep breath in and bent the light around her. She'd be much harder to spot now.

"I did no such thing! I wouldn't dare touch a hair on her head. Your daughter deserved better, she deserved to live her own life!" She shouldn't be talking, but Pearl couldn't help herself.

"Really!? Is that why you killed her and then pushed her car off a cliff!? Your fingerprints were all over the scene of the crime!" Blue Diamond raked the area with a blinding white-blue beam of energy. Pilings burned and toppled over as the walkways above crashed down nearly on top of the pair.

This had to stop now, there may be people nearby and then… God, Steven… He had better not be up there.

Blue Diamond had no idea that Pearl was behind her, she could slip away. But she would destroy this area just to get at Pearl. She had to face the Diamond.

Pearl let her camouflage ebb away and kicked colonel in the back of her left knee, then did a roundhouse kick to the right side of her head. She landed face-first into the wet sand and gravel. Now was her chance she bolted for the bottom of an embankment, but an energy bolt hit her square in the back. She flew forward, landing on her stomach; air was having a hard time getting into her lungs.

"Oh no, you don't, you're not going to get away this time!" Pearl felt herself being wrenched up by her collar then slammed against a nearby piling. She began to punch desperately against the Diamond's side, but it was as if nothing could stop this woman. Blue Diamond's left hand wrapped around Pearl's neck and squeezed.

"You cannot fathom how much I've mourned! What decades of grief has done to me!" Pearl's vision began to blur, and darkness crept up on the edges. She felt something "pop" in her neck; Pearl may not make it through this fight…

"Stop!" A young, clear voice rang out. Slowly fingers loosened from around Pearl's throat, and she took a desperate gasp.

"Don't do this, Blue! Let her go! I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to!" The restaurant manager's eyes were still blurry from lack of oxygen. Still, she could see a brilliant magenta light coming from her left side.

"Steven? How…?" The Irish accent was ragged and confused; the boy's powers were an anomaly. There was one chance.

There was a pistol holstered to the colonel's side, Pearl grabbed it while simultaneously shoving the other woman away. She flipped the safety off and aimed the gun right at the Diamond's head as she squeezed the trigger.

"Pearl, no!" A bright pink shield flew and hit Pearl, knocking her off balance. Her shot went wide, just missing the colonel.

Steven had thrown his bulwark with such force that it broke two pilings before embedding itself into the ground and then dissipating. Both Pearl and Blue Diamond stood gaping at the young man.

"Stop it, you two, just stop it!" His face was red, and he was in tears. Pearl opened her mouth to say something when a loud snap made the trio look up. The section of the docks they were under was coming down fast.

The piling next to Steven toppled over, it was going to crush him! Pearl screamed; she was too far away to save her baby. But Blue Diamond wasn't.

She leaped just to the side of the boy, sand and gravel spraying upward as Blue caught the falling debris. Just in time…

"Get him out of here! Go!" Blue Diamond screamed at Pearl.

The thin woman didn't think twice, she grabbed Steven and jumped up a nearby embankment. She managed to get herself and Steven to the relative safety of an adjacent concrete walkway. The entire section of the docks they were fighting under wholly collapsed.

"Blue, no!" The boy screamed and tried to go back down, Pearl held fast.

"Steven, stop!" The boy flailed, and Pearl finally let go.

"Looked what happened! All this because you were fighting, why were you fighting!?" She had never seen Steven so angry before. Red-faced and tears streaming down, landing on the front of his shirt.

"Steven…"

"Is it true what she said? Did you… Did you hurt her daughter?" His voice was rough and scared and angry; so many emotions.

"Steven, there's a lot that you don't understand right now." It sounded so lame, pathetic. It was the truth, but it seemed so inadequate to describe what was going on.

Sudden shifting could be heard from the wreckage below. Pearl went to grab Steven but found that she couldn't move all of a sudden.

"Hey, lemme, go!" From the side, a large woman with short-cropped hair had grabbed Steven and was holding him fast.

"Finally, we have all of the Crystal Gems. And a bonus Gem to boot." Aquamarine walked in front of Pearl, a smug smile painted on her face.

"White Diamond will be very interested in this boy. Ha, a boy Gem… who knew." An armored black transport van drove up the side of the docks along with two other SUVs.

**… … … … … … … … …**

The debris shifted once again, and a black-gloved hand grasped the edge of the dock. Blue Diamond gingerly pulled herself up from the wooden kindling below. She was covered in sand, and blood trickled down the right side of her face.

"Ah, Lt. Colonel Diamant, we have everything under control up here as you can see." Blue Diamond simply glowered at Pearl as she brushed her silver locks over her shoulder. (Aquamarine was still holding her in a stasis field.) But she stopped short when she saw Steven.

"Release the boy; he had nothing to do with this." Topaz made to put the boy down, but Aquamarine put up a hand, halting the soldier.

"The boy assaulted you, he's an accessory. Plus, he has powers? White Diamond will want him questioned at least." The diminutive woman squared up against Blue.

"I'm in command of this operation, and I'm ordering you to let the boy go. Are you questioning my authority?" Her voice was pure ice, and her eyes radiated a dangerous glow.

"White Diamond has sent me along to be at your disposal, but she also sent me along to make sure you were making sound decisions." Aquamarine sniffed and looked over at Steven and Topaz.

"Everything was fine until this point. I'm sorry, Lt. Colonel, I'm going to make a judgment call and supersede your order to let the boy go. We're taking him into custody to the old naval base along with the other Crystal Gems."

Blue Diamond clenched her jaw, there was nothing she could do at the moment. She would have to play along for the time being. She could reason with White when they got to their base of operations. Blue turned on her heel and walked over to the Topaz soldier.

"I'm sorry, Steven, I'm so sorry. I didn't want you involved, but we're going to fix this somehow, I promise." She reached out to brush away the boy's tears, but he simply turned his head away.

Blue Diamond's heart shattered.


	8. Dark Motives

The Cane Island Naval Base was located in the Atlantic Ocean just off of South Carolina situated between the North Santee River and the North Santee Bay. Built in the 1930's and decommissioned shortly after World War II, it was the preferred facility of The Authority for detaining and questioning suspects.

Surrounded by the Tom Yawkee wildlife center, it made for a discrete detention base. It was well away from the prying eyes of any large cities and any governmental officials of DC. Concrete walls and swampy marshlands surrounded the base. Blue Diamond didn't particularly like the facility herself, it was too utilitarian. But then again, it was a prison and interrogation center.

"All finished, ma'am. It's a nasty gash but small, keep the butterfly suture on it, and it'll close up in a week." The friendly medical officer said as he threw a pair of rubber gloves and used gauze in the biohazard bin. As a result of the brawl on the docks, Blue had a small wound above her left temple just at her hairline. It was a trifle thing, but it bled a lot.

"Have all the detainees been checked over?" Blue asked, arching an eyebrow at the young doctor.

"Yes, ma'am. The unknown Gem had a broken nose, but it wasn't too severe. White Pearl only has minor contusions and lacerations. The tall one doesn't have a scratch on her at all." He said, looking at the report on his tablet.

"What about the boy?" Blue wanted to know this piece of information most of all. Steven shouldn't be here; it was the colonel's responsibility to get him out of this unscathed.

"He's doing well enough, he's got some injuries, but they're not from the tussle you were involved in. We tried to give him some acetaminophen for the prior injuries and some food. But he's been unresponsive…" The doctor looked uncomfortable as Blue gave him a hard look.

"Thank you, that will be all."

The officer saluted, and the Lt. colonel returned it, dismissing the man. Blue sighed and went over to one of the chairs in the room. Even though it was the middle of August, the damn facility was cold. She picked up her fleece sweater with the Authority symbol stitched on the left side of the chest and pulled it on.

Her black tactical pants were still covered in sand and salt, but it could wait. There was business to see to. There was a video teleconference meeting with White and Yellow Diamond in 30 minutes. But first, she wanted to see Steven.

She took the elevator one floor down to the detention cells and passed them and went to the administration area. She insisted that Steven was put in one of the vacant offices, it was more comfortable than a cell. Two agents were standing guard outside, both of them saluted as she opened the door.

The office was dim, a floor lamp was the only light source on at the moment. Blue glanced over to the desk where a food tray with an uneaten club sandwich, an apple a bottle of water, and a small carton of chocolate milk was.

She picked up the metal office chair that was in front of the desk and placed it next to the couch that was situated on the side of the room. She sat down and regarded the small boy that was curled up in a fetal position facing away from her. He was lying on a white pillow and had an olive-colored wool blanket placed on him. (She'd have to thank the doctor for taking such care of the boy later.)

"Steven?" Her lilting voice was as soft as she could make it before it became a whisper.

"Steven, I know you're angry with me right now. But I will make this right, I will get you out of here." The 12 year-old stirred a bit and sniffled. He turned his head ever so slightly.

"What about Pearl?" His musical voice was hoarse, and he had the hiccups from crying so much. Blue's heart clenched. (She was a mother, once. She had to repress every single maternal instinct she had at the moment.)

"Steven, it's complicated, she-" The boy sat up abruptly, his brown eyes boring into her.

"And what about Amethyst and Garnet? They're my family!" His face was red, he was so angry.

"They've broken the law, Steven, the US government, has been looking for them for a long time." These were heavy subjects for a 7th grader. Blue wasn't sure if she could help him understand.

"Was the government looking for them, or was it _you_?" The boy narrowed his eyes at the colonel.

"Steven…"

"Look, Blue, I don't know how they broke the law. But they're _good_ people… Even Pearl." He clutched the bottom of his shirt, the red material bunching in his stubby fingers.

"I know Pearl, there's no way she could have kill-," He stopped himself, and rephrased what he was saying.

"There's no way she could have done what you think she did to your daughter…" He gave a pathetic hiccup and gazed at his lap.

"There are circumstances that you are not aware of, Steven. Besides, even if I wanted to stop, I couldn't at this point." Blue looked away from the child. It was a cold answer, she knew it. That and the Crystal Gems had to answer for what they've done. Pearl had to answer for the death of her daughter.

The silence was heavy between the two of them. It was a far cry from the warm, easy day they had on the beach a day ago. It was almost time for her meeting with the other Diamonds'. Blue stood and made to leave, but Steven jumped down from the couch.

"But you can stop this! You can, Blue, I know you can! I know you care; you wouldn't have saved me at the docks if you didn't. You can stop this, Blue!" He covered his face, his little body heaving from too much crying.

"Steven…" Blue knelt down and held him close. He had no reason to trust or ask anything of her, but he was still trying. It brought her to tears.

"Steven, I have to go. I have to make sure you get out of here, back to your home. I'll come back, alright?" She broke the embrace and brushed some of his tears away. She stood and walked to the doorway and gave one last glance back.

Steven just stood and stared back, hoping against hope…

**… … … … … … … … …**

Aquamarine and Topaz were already in the spartan meeting room. A long conference table with some old wooden office chairs occupied the center of the room. The American Flag to the right of the video screen with the Authority flag on the left.

Blue Diamond scowled at Aquamarine as she walked by. She took a spot near the head of the table across from the agent.

"I am not pleased with your performance, Aquamarine." It was as if the temperature dropped to zero in the room.

Topaz looked nervously over at her superior, but the diminutive woman didn't flinch. She almost smirked, in fact. Blue wanted to reach over the table and strangle her.

"I'm only doing my job to the best of my ability, Lt. Colonel Diamant." Her tone was flat, but Blue knew better. The tone did not mean neutrality.

A musical chime broke the icy atmosphere of the room. Topaz immediately picked up the call, and White Diamond, along with Yellow Diamond, materialized on the screen.

"Excellent work, all of you!" White Diamond's smile was full, it was only accentuated by her dark lipstick.

"We have nearly all of the Crystal Gems, along with the renegade, White Pearl. Finally, we can start to close the book on this blemish to our organization." The director clasped her hands together and held them to her chest.

"What of the boy, Lt. colonel?" Yellow Diamond asked. Blue opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Aquamarine.

"The boy is a Gem and possibly a member of the Crystal Gems. Topaz and I witnessed him using his abilities to aid White Pearl." The agent looked across the table, almost daring Blue to say otherwise. Blue didn't have to say anything, however.

"Agent, I was not addressing _you_. I was addressing your _superior_, know your place!" Yellow did not tolerate agents speaking out of turn, no matter the rank or tenure they possessed.

"Forgive me general, I'm merely shocked that such a Gem could exist." Aquamarine apologized, but she was not genuinely sorry, her tone and body language spoke volumes. (What was she up to…?)

Yellow said nothing more to the agent and looked back over to Blue expectantly. White also had an inquiring look. Blue took a deep breath to soothe the simmering anger held just beneath the surface.

"It is true, I encountered a male Gem in Beach City. His name is Steven Universe, and he has the same abilities as Rose Quartz. At least in so far as I've seen." White began tapping her nails on the table, the microphone easily picking it up.

"Rose is the only Crystal Gem we're missing, is this boy… related to her?" Rose was the second most wanted out of the group. She had somehow gotten ahold of classified documents detailing some of the Authority's interrogation practices.

Rose Quartz handed them off to the media, and an ugly smear campaign against White Diamond ensued. Investigators from the Justice Department and a Senate inquiry happened before the dust settled. To say White was furious was an understatement.

"Rose Quartz is dead; she passed away giving birth to Steven. The boy is her biological son. I retrieved the death certificate from Beach City town hall for confirmation." White stopped tapping her fingers on the table and nodded.

"Well, this is unprecedented. There's never been a male Gem before, the mutation for our abilities is tied to the XX chromosome in our DNA." The director finished and looked over to Yellow Diamond. Blue could see the gears turning in the general's head.

"To set the record straight," Blue continued, "Steven, did not attack me. He assisted me during the battle. He quite possibly saved my life, in fact." The colonel gave Aquamarine a venomous look.

"And I'd like to add that he is a _minor_, he's only 12 years of age. I wholly disapprove of his detainment, and it is my recommendation that he be released back to his biological father in Beach City _immediately_." Blue's icy gaze never left Aquamarine, who narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

"He was detained because he is an accessory at the very least. He should be charged with aggravated assault. The boy should be incarcerated, he's a bad seed. Topaz witnessed the attack with me." Aquamarine snapped her head towards the bulky woman. Blue glared at her, waiting for a response.

"Eh-uh, honestly? I didn't see the actual fight or any sort of attack, ma'ams… Only the aftermath." She looked at Blue and swallowed thickly. Topaz didn't dare turn her head to Aquamarine, who had a hideous look on her face.

"I think in light of this discussion, we should let Steven Universe go back to his father. It's the Lt. colonel's word against Aquamarine's, and the colonel was the one fighting." Yellow Diamond said, leaning back in her chair while straightening the bottom of her jacket.

"Hmm, after we run some tests, though. The boy is an anomaly, we should get a sample of his DNA for our records and keep tabs on him." White's honeyed voice said thoughtfully.

"But yes, I agree with setting him free. It's never been our policy to hold a Gem against their will if they're not a danger to themselves or society, especially a minor. There have been strange mutations in recent years, we'll just keep an eye on him." The director's voice was absolute cheer, it was a beginning to an end of a flaw on her agency. White was pleased. (And that was a nigh-impossible task.)

"We're done here ladies, let's bring the Crystal Gems back to DC and start to wrap this up." The director nodded at Blue and left.

"Lt. colonel? I need a moment of your time please?" Yellow Diamond said, taking off her cap.

"Topaz, Aquamarine… You are dismissed." Blue said coolly. The giant soldier quickly got up and left. (Blue could swear she left skid marks on the floor.) Aquamarine followed suit with a scowl on her face.

Gilt colored eyes gazed into arctic blue ones. The pair regarded each other for a moment before saying anything.

"Are you alright?" Blue nodded, god, she was tired.

"That was a hell of an investigation you pulled off. You had almost nothing, you're amazing." Pride colored Yellow's voice. (Love colored Yellow's voice.)

"I… I don't feel amazing. I feel tired and angry, and I don't know what Aquamarine's motives are…" Blue looked at the closed door behind her. It was as if she could feel the diminutive woman glaring at her.

"She's a solid agent, but she's always been over-ambitious and overzealous. She was more than likely trying to advance herself with the discovery of this child you found." The general raked her hand through her short golden hair.

"I just want this to be over." Blue wiped tears from her eyes, she was done, so done.

"We're almost there, just a little further. I haven't said it enough in recent times but, Linna… I love you…" Melena leaned forward, her golden eyes revealing so many unspoken feelings.

"I love you too, Melena." The pair sat there for a long moment, beaming at each other.

"It's late. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, w-we can talk then." Melena nodded and clenched her jaw.

"Get some sleep, Linna. I'll see you tomorrow." The video feed was cut, and Linna was left alone in the dark conference room.

**… … … … … … … … …**

She was made a mockery of for the last time. _Oh_, how she worked and toiled, she had sacrificed so much to get where she was today. But like so many times before this, Aquamarine had been passed over.

To have an opportunity pulled out from under her by an absentee depressed alcoholic! She should be the head of the investigative division, not Blue Diamond. As far as the agent was concerned, that position has been vacant for the past 15 years! The diminutive woman ground her teeth at the thought.

Then there was the boy. A boy Gem. Another mutation to be researched and studied. All three Diamonds let the opportunity slip through their fingers. What shocked Aquamarine, most of all, was White's response; "… we'll keep tabs on him." And there was no doubt in her mind that he would cause problems just like Rose Quartz.

At least testing was ordered on the child. Not that it would do too much good, he needed to be kept for study. It was just one child, so much could come of this.

Aquamarine walked down to the medical lab; they had been running the tests since they had arrived. She wasn't ordered to do this, and it was legally a gray area, especially in the absence of a parent. But this was important, there was much to be learned.

She ambled over to the medical lab. She went to enter when the agent observed a rather heated argument between the chief lab technician and one of the medical doctors.

"Just how am I supposed to deliver these findings to Lt. Colonel Diamant? Do you know the implications?" The high pitched nasally voice cut through the area. She was a Peridot class Gem, high intelligence, and an extreme aptitude for engineering. (A few select even possessed ferrokinesis.)

"She asked for them! We can't disobey an order." The doctor said, his hand was resting on his forehead.

"What's going on here? Is there a problem, Peridot? Doctor?" The pair started at the agent's approach.

"Ah, agent Aquamarine, uh, we've come up with some unusual findings with Steven Universe's DNA. Uh, as per protocol, we run any Gem DNA we receive through the Authority's codex. We do this to see if we can trace it back to any of the original Gems that were created during World War II." The Peridot said. She lifted her safety glasses and set them on top of her head.

"And what is so _unusual_ about your findings, exactly?" The agent walked next to the pair putting her hands behind her back expectantly.

"We should really call the Lt. colonel in here…" The doctor said hesitantly.

"Show me now!" She was short in stature but not short in temper. It had been a long day, and Aquamarine's fuse was short.

The Peridot motioned to the DNA results on a nearby computer. Aquamarine's eyes grew wide; this was… This was something indeed.

"How many times was this test run?" The agent asked, her eyes never leaving the computer screen.

"Three times, ma'am." The Peridot replied, nervously.

"As I am not a geneticist, I need to make certain I'm reading this correctly." The agent slowly turned, a shrewd grin crawling across her face.

"The child shares 25% of his DNA with the colonel?"

"Yes, that is correct," The Peridot's voice cracked, she cleared it before speaking again.

"Without a doubt, Lt. Colonel Diamant is Steven Universe's maternal grandmother."


	9. Prison Break

It was the wee hours of the morning when Blue Diamond finally finished with all her reports, after action and situational. There were just a few more loose ends she had to tie up before she returned to DC in a few short hours.

She was to escort the Crystal Gems personally to the DC Central Detention Facility to be detained until a bond hearing. Blue rubbed her eyes and took a drink from the water bottle on her desk. The odds of any of the rogue Gems getting out on bond were slim to none. They've been fugitives for years. (Darkly she wished that Pearl wouldn't see the light of day ever again.)

Steven would be taken to a nearby airport and escorted back to Beach City. Back to his father, back to his life. The colonel frowned; she may not see the boy ever again. She had such a soft spot for him, he opened his heart to her when she needed it. And she betrayed him by arresting his family and tearing his world apart.

Her gaze wandered over to the small bedside table in her room. A dimly glowing neon blue bracelet sat next to the lamp. A gift from Steven, to remember their time on the beach… Guilt twisted in Blue's gut, god how she wanted a drink.

The colonel stood and stepped over to the table, taking the bracelet and shoving in it in her pocket. Time to see about those loose ends, she needed to see the transcripts of the interviews with the suspects, and she needed to make sure a DNA test was done. Blue also desired to see Steven at least one more time… It was a personal loose end.

To the elevator down from the barracks, past the holding cells to the offices. The guards were still there and saluted once again as the Diamond entered. The boy was up this time, he was fidgeting with his blanket when he looked up at her. Dark circles underscored his puffy eyes and tear-stained face.

"Did you sleep at all?" Blue said, ducking her head to meet his gaze. She was concerned now, was he up most the night? She sat down next to the boy on the couch, resting her arm on the back of the cushion.

"No, I couldn't." Steven's voice was rough and resigned. He couldn't meet Blue's gaze.

The colonel looked down at the floor next to the couch and smiled ever so slightly, "I see your cheeseburger backpack has been returned." Still despondent, the boy just nodded, again, not meeting Blue's eyes.

"You'll be going home this morning, Steven. You have a flight at ten, leaving from Charleston Airport to Delmarva. You'll be driven home from there." The boy just nodded, still picking at the blanket on top of his legs.

"That won't be happening, I'm afraid." Blue's head snapped to the doorway. Aquamarine stood squarely in the middle, silhouetted by the light from the hallway.

"Agent, this is a private conversation, it doesn't concern you." Blue stood arching an eyebrow in the woman's direction. Her eyes radiating a dangerous azure light.

"Oh, but it does concern me. I'm taking over as you, Lt. Colonel Diamant, have a conflict of interest in this operation." The guards entered the room behind the agent weapons drawn, their expressions obscured by their balaclavas and helmets. Blue noted that two more armed guards had joined the group since Aquamarine's arrival.

"What is this nonsense!? How dare you-" The colonel took a couple steps forward, but one of the guards held out their rifle immediately halting the woman.

"Care to explain this, Lt. Colonel?" The diminutive woman held out a manila folder, and Blue Diamond snatched it out of her grasp.

She opened it up and recognized it as the DNA results she ordered over 12 hours ago. Blue's eyes grew wide as she scanned the document. She re-read it again, it couldn't be true… She looked over at Steven, who just looked back at her scared and uncertain.

"This is a lie! Just what are you playing at agent!?" Blue threw the report in Aquamarine's direction; it landed on the floor in a flutter of pages.

"_Oh_? You mean, you didn't know about the boy?" A Cheshire grin graced Aquamarine's face as she walked forward, staring at Steven.

"Blue? What's going on?" Steven was standing now, clutching his backpack in his arms. Blue gave a panicked look and motioned for him to be quiet.

"I was humiliated earlier. Passed over again and again and again. Today's meeting with White Diamond and Yellow Diamond? Was the last straw." Aquamarine picked up the report and casually flipped the pages as she walked to the desk in the center of the room.

"For _years_, I've watched The Authority petrify in place. My division, the Criminal Investigation Branch, in particular, has languished." The agent threw the report on the desktop.

"Why? Because of you." Aquamarine pointed at Blue with such force that the material of her blazer snapped in the air.

"You're not solely to blame, White Diamond should have found a replacement for you. But the director and general are fond of you, and because of this fondness, they overlooked hard working and more capable individuals, such as myself." The shorter woman scowled and stepped right in front of Blue.

"So of course, they let the malignant tumor grow unchecked. But now, I'm in a position to surgically remove said cancer from my division." A long silence dragged out as Blue seethed internally.

"While these DNA results bring up a whole host of questions, it hardly disqualifies me as head of this operation. Please, enlighten me, agent, how do you propose getting rid of me and then convincing the director to put you in my place?" The colonel said the last sentence through grit teeth. She had to figure out what Aquamarine was planning, and that meant she had to keep her talking.

"Oh, but it does disqualify you! You see, finding out that the boy is your grandson, you became incredibly sympathetic to him, the Crystal Gems, and their cause. As such, you wanted to release these domestic terrorists." Aquamarine stepped back over to the officers at the door. Their AR 15 rifles carefully trained on Blue Diamond.

"And in the attempted escape, you, the boy, and the Crystal Gems killed and injured dozens of officers and agents." The agent walked past the men into the corridor.

"Fortunately, a dedicated group of officers and I managed to stop the Crystal Gems and subdue the boy. Unfortunately, _you_ were killed during the incident. Gentlemen, try not to shoot the boy. I'd like to keep him alive for further study if possible." The diminutive woman smiled, gave a mocking salute, and hurried down the hall, leaving Blue and Steven with a group of heavily armed, hostile guards.

"Steven, get behind the desk!" The guards began firing into the room. Blue let off a few energy projectiles hitting and stopping one soldier but went down when a bullet hit her left shoulder and side spraying blood everywhere.

She thought she was done, but a piercing magenta light filled the room. Steven was standing in front of her, surrounded by some kind of bubble stopping any projectiles. He ran forward, battering the remaining assailants aside.

Blue didn't waste any time, she got up on her feet and lunged at the stunned guard. She grabbed his rifle and cracked him square in the face with the buttstock. The colonel then turned to the recovering attacker behind her and fired the gun point-blank range. The guard collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Stop!" Steven's young voice rang a ways down the hall. Blue's vision blurred as she stumbled against the doorframe of the office. She had to stop the other attacker…

"Get down on the ground and put your hands up now!" The boy was having none of it, he summoned his shield.

"This is wrong, you're doing the wrong thing!" He then flung it at his attacker. The soldier successfully dodged out of the way as the pink disk sailed down the hall. (Blue had to step back to avoid being hit.)

What the man didn't see was the second shield that Steven had created and hurled at him. It bounced off the wall diagonally from the soldier and hit him square in the head knocking off his helmet. The man landed on the floor out cold.

The colonel ran out of the office and fell into the adjacent wall sliding down to the floor. "Blue!" Steven ran over and knelt next to her. She squeezed the left side of her abdomen just above the hip. Pressure, she needed to stop the bleeding.

A small hand with stubby fingers pressed against hers, "Steven, the-there's a trauma kit on the wall just around the corner, I need you to get it for me." The colonel's voice was as calm and even as she could make it.

The 12 year-old wasted no time and bolted down the hall, his sandals squeaking on the linoleum. She just had to stay conscious, just stay…

"Blue, you have to stay awake! In my first aid class in school last year, they said that if you lose a lot of blood, you gotta stay awake!" The woman nodded and made herself sit up against the wall gritting her teeth.

"Open the kit, the bandages we want are on the left side underneath the partition." The boy nodded and did exactly what he was told.

"These ones? He-mo-static… pads?"

"Those are it, be a good lad, and open it for me? Then hand me those scissors." Steven nodded, he had tears in his eyes, but he was calm.

Between the pair, they managed to do a rough patch job on the colonel. She had Steven help her cut off her fleece, then wrap her left shoulder and abdomen with hemostatic dressing and gauze. All the while, Blue warily watched the unconscious forms in the office across the way.

"Blue? Why is it so quiet? They shot at us, like, a lot. Someone should have noticed." Steven looked up at one of the security cameras on the ceiling then back to Blue. The boy had a point, it had been roughly 15 minutes since their gunfight in the office.

"I have a feeling that Aquamarine has recruited help from inside this facility." The woman braced her right hand and forearm on the wall behind her and made to stand up. "We need to leave now."

"I'm not leaving without my family." Steven helped Blue up, he was surprisingly strong. She swayed and felt light-headed, she needed a moment to steady herself.

"What are you doing?" Somehow through all the fighting, the 12 year-old managed to keep a hold of his backpack. He was shoving everything he could possibly fit from the trauma kit into his bag.

"I told you, I'm not leaving without my family. You'll need these later." The boy said stubbornly. He then zipped up the backpack and stood as he slipped into the shoulder straps.

"Steven, I'm not sure anything Aquamarine told us was true…" Once again, she looked at the office and then to the unconscious body down the hall. The woman took a few cautious steps forward, testing her balance. She almost fell forward and caught herself on the wall with her right hand, her left side was just about useless.

"I don't care if what Aquamarine said was true or not. You're coming with me Blue, we're all getting out of here." Blue shook her head, what did she do to earn this boy's friendship?

The colonel pointed to the discarded rifle on the floor, Steven hesitantly picked it up and handed it to her. She slung it over her good shoulder and braced herself on the wall. The boy gently took Blue's left arm and placed it around his shoulder.

"I'm short, but you can lean on me. Where are the Gems?" Steven held the woman's hand to his shoulder and looked up questioningly.

"We're in luck, they're on this floor down the corridor a ways. I'll help you get them out." Steven nodded and gave her a sad smile. The pair then made their way towards the detention block as quickly as they could.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

"This is _killing_ me! We gotta book it, like, now." Amethyst was leaning against a concrete reinforced door with a steel shell. She was strong, but the cell was made entirely of concrete, and the door was barred from the outside.

She touched her nose and winced; there was tape over the bridge to hold it in place, and her right nostril was packed with cotton. If she ever got her hands on the broad that headbutted her…

The only person out of the three of them that would have a strong chance at breaking out was Garnet, and she was shackled and chained to the wall. Amethyst peaked through the small slot in the door. It was where food and other items were passed through, they didn't even have control over that.

The window was controlled from the outside, luckily the last guard that passed by left them open to serve them dinner. Dinner was hours ago, and no-one has been by since. It was highly unusual; Amethyst had been in jail before, and they typically didn't operate like this.

Then there was all the gunfire coming from the other side of the floor. It was unmistakable, and it sounded like a hell of a fight. Amethyst's gut was telling her to run as far and as fast as she could from this place.

She heard chains rattle from the cell on the other side. "I can't break out without making too much noise."

"Garnet, it doesn't matter at this point! Something is up, and we're in _way_ more trouble now than we were earlier. If you can bust the chains do it!" Amethyst pressed both hands against the door and listened as metal was rent from concrete.

She then peeked through the door slot across the way to see one brown eye and one blue eye looking back. The tennis instructor winked. "Finally! Think you can break the door?"

"I'm not sure, if I start beating on it someone is bound to come." Garnet looked uncertainly down the hall then back at Amethyst.

"Look, I know you have this precognition future thing going on, but no-one came when you busted the shackles. No-one came when the gunfire happened down the hall. Something's up." Amethyst was losing her patience.

"Pearl? Com'on P, whaddya think? Talk to us…" Pearl hadn't said a single thing since being placed in her cell. She hadn't even taken her food tray from the opening in the door.

Pearl's silence was worrying both Amethyst and Garnet. That wasn't even mentioning how worried they were for Steven. She'd caught a glimpse of her kiddo when they first entered the compound, and Amethyst had almost gotten tased trying to talk to him.

"Someone's coming!" The tennis instructor said worriedly. At first, the shorter woman didn't hear anything, then voices echoed against the stone walls. (There was that precognition thing again.) Amethyst looked over to Garnet. There were voices, but they were far away, undistinguishable.

"We're getting out soon, just wait," Garnet said in a hushed tone. There was a loud claxon as orange lights flashed above their doors, then all the cells on their respective block slid open.

Footsteps slapped down the hallway immediately after, "You guys! Are you there!?"

"Steven!?" Pearl burst from the doorway and grabbed Steven. Amethyst ran over to the pair with Garnet following.

"Oh, thank god! Are you hurt? Where did all this blood come from!?" Pearl held back a sob as Amethyst looked at Steven's back making sure he was okay.

"I'm okay, really! It's not my blood…" The boy looked back towards the way he came, and Amethyst followed his gaze. A tall figure with flowing silver hair and a blood-soaked t-shirt covered in bandages was gingerly walking towards the group.

"Oh, _hell no-_" Before Amethyst could even finish what she was saying, Garnet, leaped past the group and slammed Blue Diamond against the wall. Garnet was holding her up a couple of inches off the ground.

"You'd better start talking. I need a reason to not kill you." The black woman's smooth voice was low and dangerous.

"Garnet, no!" Steven protested, but Pearl held him back. The Diamond's face was twisted in pain, and blood was seeping through the dressing on her shoulder, leaving a crimson smear on the wall behind her.

"Because you're not getting out without my assistance." Arctic blue eyes blazed a threatening light as she spoke through a clenched jaw. Garnet set the Irish woman down, and she sagged against the wall.

"I couldn't care less about the three of you! But, it just so happens I care for Steven, which is to your benefit. I want to see him get out of here, and he cannot leave on his own." Blue Diamond's voice was shaky, she looked like she was about to fall over.

Garnet nodded at the Diamond and turned to face Amethyst and the others. "We're not getting out without her help. We have to leave now."

A deep rumble shook the entire facility, debris fell from the ceiling in small chunks as the lights flickered above the group. Alarms pealing through the halls as all the doors to the holding cells closed.

"What the hell is going on!?" Amethyst yelled at Garnet and Blue Diamond.

Garnet's heterochromatic gaze was slightly unfocused as she looked into different possible scenarios and outcomes.

"Blue Diamond, we need the most discreet way out, and we have to _hurry_." Garnet's words sent panic up Amethyst's spine.


	10. Pink Diamond Rose Quartz

With Blue Diamond's familiarity of the facility and Garnet's precognition abilities, the group actually made it to the loading docks without running into any guards or obstacles. (Steven's favorite part was the quick ride down the third-floor laundry chute. Sure, they were in danger, but he was a kid.)

Now they were crouched behind a semi-truck trailer opposite the loading docks looking at the carnage in front of them. Half of the facility had been blown to pieces. A fire raged at the front entrance as nearby fireboats tried to suppress the blaze. Multiple ambulances were triaging the wounded, and it was utter chaos.

"Man, I guess we know why the building shook now," Amethyst said somberly; she sounded stuffy because of her broken nose.

"Why would Aquamarine do this? These people were just doing their jobs…" Pearl was kneeling next to Steven, her hand clutching the back of his t-shirt collar.

"She's framing me, us. She wants my position as one of the heads of The Authority. She also wants Steven to be studied. She fought me tooth, nail, and claw to have him permanently detained." Blue's lilting accent was weak; she looked so pale even in the dark. She needed help and soon.

"We can't do anything from here. We need to get as far away from here as fast as we can. There has to be something around here that can help." Garnet looked over to Blue Diamond.

"I always keep a bug-out-bag in the secure area in the parking garage. I take it with me to any post I work at. It's only meant for myself, but it has a substantial amount of cash and a couple of throw away cell phones in it." Blue motioned her head in the opposite direction the group was facing.

"Let's get it and go." Garnet had spoken.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

It was a treacherous swim across the Santee river and then a long hike up to the town of McClellanville, South Carolina. But the group made it in roughly four hours. Steven was just awestruck; he'd known almost all of these women all his life, but never in a million years would he have guessed they were superhumans.

They all swam through the river like it was nothing, then hiked through a thick forest for about 12 miles like it was a stroll in the park. (Even Blue with her injuries managed to keep up.) That's not mentioning the alligators, snakes, and in general unstable marshy wetland.

Garnet ended up carrying Steven most of the way…

The group now took shelter on the edge of town in a seemingly abandoned barn. It hadn't been used in decades. They entered through a broken panel on the side. Old hay bales and rusty farm equipment filled the building. Part of the loft was caved in, and ivy had taken root and cascaded down the wall like a leafy emerald waterfall.

Steven walked over to a couple of wooden chairs and brushed himself off a bit. After their trek through the marshlands, he couldn't call himself clean. Pearl dropped the heavy duffel bag and stretched before sitting down.

"Dude, this place is like _The Grapes of Wrath_," Amethyst said, walking around opposite from Pearl and Steven.

"Yes, well, I daresay that the farm in that book was in much better shape than ours," Blue said half stumbling into the barn heading towards the chairs.

Both Steven and Amethyst hurried to her side and helped her lay down on a nearby stack of large square hay bales. Amethyst looked at the dressing covering Blue's wounds and shook her head.

"Hey, G, gonna need your help here." The bartender took the rifle that the Diamond had been carrying and set it aside as Garnet walked up.

"You've just about bled out and then took a swim in bacteria-filled marshlands. You're in bad shape, colonel." Garnet raked her hand through her wild curly hair.

"Pearl, do we have any medical supplies?" Garnet asked, looking over her shoulder.

"None in the duffel bag." Pearl made no motion to move from her seat, she only glared at Blue.

"I've got some in my backpack along with some other stuff." Steven hopped down from the hay and went to retrieve his bag. As he did so, he gave Pearl a hard look. The restaurant manager noticed and pursed her lips.

He ran back over to the others unzipping the pack and handing it to Amethyst. The short woman shrugged and dumped the bag's contents out next to the Diamond.

"Steve-O, these are dry and clean and everything. Good job, little man." Amethyst playfully mussed his head, and Steven smiled.

"This will go a long way, Steven; you even grabbed some lidocaine shots." Garnet picked up a pair of medical shears and began cutting away at Blue's filthy dressing.

"We're going to need some additional supplies, though. Got some paper and a pen Steven?" Garnet looked at him, she was tired, but there was a spark in her eyes that was missing earlier.

"Right here!" The boy enthusiastically got out the items requested. (It was supposed to be for school that was starting in about a week.)

"Alright, the rest of you listen up as well. We need aspirin, bottled water, disinfectant, gauze, bandages, clean clothes, food, and if we can manage it antibiotics." Garnet finished cutting the dressing off of Blue's shoulder. It oozed dark red blood, and the skin around it was red and angry.

"Actually, we'll _have_ to find antibiotics." The tall Gem changed her tone and pursed her plump lips.

"Why are we wasting resources on her! We're in this mess because of this woman!" Pearl exploded.

"Blue's also helping us out of this situation, Pearl! We wouldn't be in this barn if it weren't for her. I'd be crushed under dock or shot if it wasn't for her! We're helping her, whether you want us to or not." Steven had had enough, he jumped down from the bale he was sitting on.

"I don't know exactly what went on between you and Blue, but I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were better than this."

"Steven I…" Pearl reached out to touch his shoulder, but Steven ducked out of reach.

The silence was deafening, everyone was looking at Steven and Pearl.

"Hey P, let's go walk it off. We'll go into town and scope things out and see what we can scrounge up." The willowy Gem nodded and pulled out some cash and a pre-paid debit card from the duffel bag.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

The day dragged on, the air was heavy and humid as cicadas sang in the nearby trees. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Steven had gone outside to relieve himself and saw black clouds in the corner of the sky. He definitely felt like a black cloud himself.

He ducked back into the barn and went over to the stack of bales that Blue was resting on. Garnet had cut the left t-shirt sleeve all the way up to the shirt collar, making it easier to access the wound. Blue was in bad shape; the wound in her side was worse than the one on her shoulder. Garnet said it was because it was infected.

Steven rested his hand on Blue's forehead; she was pale, but her cheeks were red, and a sickly heat radiated off of her. He looked over at Garnet, who had taken up residence on the wooden chairs. She sat in one while resting her feet on top of the other, chin resting on her chest.

Everything was terrible; they were stranded in a town with no car, and a small army of government agents was looking for them because he was framed for blowing up a prison. He didn't know if he'd see his dad or Connie or Beach City ever again. Plus, he got into a massive argument with Pearl, and his friend was injured severely, and they couldn't even go to the hospital. This was the worst, tears rolled down the boy's round face.

"Steven, love, are you alright?" The 12 year-old was sitting on Blue's right side (the good side). Her lovely voice was cracked and dry.

"I'll be okay." He scrubbed his face with his hand and gave his best attempt at a smile.

"That was quite a row you had with your guardian." She reached up and brushed a stray tear from his cheek.

"I don't know, she's acting terrible when we need to be a team. She doesn't normally act like this." The woman shifted stiffly on the make-shift pillow. Garnet had found an old horse blanket in the loft and rolled it up for Blue to use.

"There's a lot of bad history between us, and we're in an incredibly stressful situation. She's not entirely to blame. Perhaps you could talk to her when she gets back." Blue reached her arm around Steven's shoulder and coaxed him to lay down.

"Come, you've hardly slept in two days. Just lay here with me for a while." She softly kissed the boy's forehead before resting her chin on the top of his head.

He drifted away into a light, dreamless sleep. Anxiety was on the edges of his consciousness, but he took comfort in Blue's arms and Garnet's strong silent presence. Until the rumble of an engine was heard just outside the barn's main door.

"Bloody hell!" Blue hissed as she reached for her rifle. Garnet was already up, Glock in hand taking cover behind a support beam.

"Steven, get up in the loft." The Diamond said, leaning heavily on a hay bale.

"But, Blue!"

"Steven, no buts, listen to Blu-wait." Garnet stepped away from her position and flipped the safety on her weapon.

"We're alright, Pearl and Amethyst are back." Garnet gave both Blue and Steven a grin.

"Yo G! Check it out, we got a ride!" Amethyst poked her head through the hole in the barn wall, her scratchy voice filling the air. She then looked over to the 12 year-old and the Diamond.

"Got you guys some stuff too." She stepped into the barn proper and went to the front entryway. The short woman and Garnet then opened on of the doors, and Pearl rolled in with one of the oldest vehicles Steven had ever seen.

"It's the best we could do under the circumstances. A 1974 Volkswagen Bus." Pearl said to Garnet, hanging out the window.

"Whoa Pearl, this thing is cool," Steven said excitedly. It was green in color and had multiple rust spots near the bottom. The boy slid open the side door and looked inside; more than enough room for the five of them.

"It must have been a reasonable price if you picked it out," Garnet said, looking at Pearl.

"12K in cash, the farmer, signed the title over to us right there," Pearl said, pursing her lips. Steven jumped out of the van and ran over to the others.

"12,000 dollars!? How much money did you have, Blue?" The Diamond had gone back over to her makeshift bed and had since sat down.

"Between the card and the cash? Roughly 35 grand, probably a bit more." Steven just looked at her with stars in his eyes.

"Yeah, so we got a ride! Then we found a thrift shop and picked up everyone some clothes and blankets and stuff. Then P found her home away from home; The Dollar General!" Amethyst grinned as Pearl gave her an irate look.

"There's nothing wrong with that store! Besides, all the medical supplies, food, and other miscellaneous things came from there." Pearl proceeded to open the back of the van and brought out some bags, and a couple boxes form the rear storage (one box, in particular, had some motor supplies in it). She then opened the rear compartment and began inspecting the engine.

"Antibiotics?" Garnet said.

"Naw, but there's a large animal vet not too far away. I hate to steal but, we're kind of desperate. I'll go by later and see about _liberating_ some meds." Amethyst had been digging in a bag while talking. She grinned when she finally found what she was looking for and walked over to Garnet.

"Here, you're not Garnet without the shades." Garnet slipped on the sunglasses and gave a mysterious smile.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

It was storming outside by the time night came. Everyone had a clean change of clothes that actually fit. (Pearl was an expert at guessing sizes.) And everyone had food and water in their stomachs. It was a far better situation than they had been in.

The group now sat in a loose circle in front of the hay bales with an LED lantern. Blue was in her spot, resting on her right side. She was sporting clean dressing, a navy button-down top, and some khaki cargo pants. Steven was relieved; she seemed to be doing better now that she had some water and aspirin.

Amethyst was off to the side, spread eagle on another hay bale with jean shorts and a black t-shirt. Garnet not too far away with a new pair of sunglasses resting on her head and wearing jeans and an old purple Nike shirt. A map of the area was opened in front of her.

Then Pearl had the other lantern and was tinkering with the van engine in a pair of capris and a peach-colored polo. She, of course, didn't have a spot of grease on her clothes despite the messy nature of work being done.

Steven was sitting opposite Garnet, messing with an old battery-operated radio. Amethyst had picked a light blue t-shirt for him and a clean pair of jeans. Not exactly his style, but he could deal.

"Everyone, we need to figure out what to do." Garnet finally said, looking up.

"We go find this Aquamarine chick and punch her in the head!" Amethyst rolled on her side and rested her head on her arm.

"We need a better solution than punching Aquamarine in the face. Steven, what happened in the office at the prison? What did Aquamarine say to you and Blue Diamond?" The boy stopped fussing with the radio and started to fidget with the bottom of his shirt.

"She said a bunch of stuff, like how she should be in charge and how she was framing everyone with the attack on the compound and how she wanted to keep me for testing." The boy paused and looked around. Pearl had stopped working on the van, and Blue was now sitting up.

"She had this crazy report that said Blue was my grandmother? Something about DNA. It's how Aquamarine tied Blue up in this mess. She said Blue was 'sympathetic to our cause.'" Steven leaned back on his hands with his sandaled feet in front of him.

"That chick is cray, there's no way Steven's related to Blue D," Amethyst said yawing.

"That's actually incorrect," Pearl said quietly, she came closer to the group and sat down on her knees.

"What are you talking about?" There was an icy edge to Blue Diamonds words.

"The DNA report, the one that The Authority does on all Gems they find? The one that was certainly ordered for Steven is accurate." Pearl was wringing her hands.

"That's impossible! My daughter has been dead since 2004. You would know better than most!" Blue was standing now, hands clenched at her side as an azure light burned in her eyes.

"Yes, I would know better! You know why!? Because she didn't die in 2004! I helped Carissa Diamant fake her death. She didn't end up in a fiery car wreck at the bottom of a valley, she ran away with me!" Only the rain was heard, everyone was silent.

"You and Melena Diamant and Bianca Diamant were smothering her! Pressuring her into a life, she didn't want, trying to force her to join The Authority. You wanted her to be Pink Diamond and she wanted nothing to do with it! So, she asked me to run away with her, and I said _yes_. _Because I was in love with her_!"

"The only way to truly break away, to truly hide, was to make you and everyone else believe she was dead. Otherwise, there was no way this would work. She stopped being Carissa Diamant and became Rose Quartz." Pearl continued after wiping the tears from her eyes.

"We ran for a while and found Garnet and Amethyst. Finally, we found ourselves in Beach City. That's where _Rose_ met Greg Universe, and that's where our relationship ended. Rose got married to Greg, and then Steven was born. Steven's birth was complicated, and… And Rose passed away." Pearl looked defiantly at Blue Diamond.

"So, Carissa… Rose _is_ dead. But I didn't kill her, no one did. And Steven? He _is_ your grandson; the DNA test and Aquamarine are both correct."

"When you came waltzing into Beach city looking for the Crystal Gems and me? You got far more than you were expecting, Linna." Pearl shook her head and walked outside into the rain.

Steven watched as Blue sat back slowly, her jaw clenched, arctic eyes distant trying to wrap her head around what was just said. (What could she say?)

Garnet and Amethyst were just stunned. "G, what do we do now?"

"We should… probably try and get some rest. We'll sort it out in the morning."

Steven walked over to Blue, her eyes focused on some distant corner of the barn, one hand covering her mouth. He grabbed her free hand, and she immediately turned her head to look down at him.

"Blue? You okay?" He whispered, unsure.

She just squeezed his small fingers tightly as tears rolled down her face.


	11. Video Review

**Notes: Long chapter. I tried breaking it up, but it made the narrative too choppy.**

**Excelsior!**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

What do you mean she was working with the Crystal Gems!?" White Diamond was furious. Her teeth grit, her hands clutching the arms of her chair.

"It's… Just as I said, director." Yellow watched as Aquamarine shifted uncomfortably. She was doing a video chat via a mobile telecommunications van.

"Do you have proof?" Yellow Diamond didn't believe it. Not at all. Blue Diamond throwing in with the Crystal Gems.

The general was just having a hard time with the whole thing. She spoke with Blue not four hours ago, she was coming back to DC, Crystal Gems in tow. They were closing the book on this case. Blue could finally move on. (Yellow could move on, and perhaps find a way for her and Blue to be happy and together again?)

"I have video evidence as well as the DNA test to corroborate what has happened," Aquamarine said rather confidently.

"Show us the video, _agent_, I have little patience," Yellow said through a clenched jaw.

Aquamarine spoke to someone offscreen, and soon her face was replaced with video footage from the detention facility on Cane Island. The video's color was washed out, but everything was more or less clear.

The angle was a top-down view of the hallway with an office a short distance away. Two guards stood watch at an office door. Soon Blue Diamond entered, then shortly after, Aquamarine briskly entered the room with two more armed guards.

Then the agent left, and the two remaining guards swept into the room. There was flashes from muzzle fire and the boy; this Steven Universe barreled out of the office with some sort of force field and ran off-camera with one guard chasing him.

There was some more violent activity from the room. (God, what Yellow would give to know what was going on in that room.) Then a distinctly pink energy disk hurtled down the corridor. Yellow looked at White when that happened, the director gave the slightest of nods to acknowledge she saw it too.

Then Blue Diamond stumbled out of the office; she was injured severely, leaving a puddle of blood on the linoleum floor. Yellow clutched at the arms of her chair when she saw her Blue in such a state. The boy showed up to seemingly aid Blue, then the feed abruptly cut off.

"As you can see, I confronted her with the DNA results, and Blue Diamond seemed as if she was going to cooperate, so I departed. But things went terribly awry… there's more video evidence."

Another video, this one was of slightly better quality and had sound. The timestamp indicated that it was about 20 minutes after the first video.

"They're in this cell block, I just need a moment to override the controls." Blues lovely Irish accent filtering through the tinny speakers.

The view was another top-down angle giving a clear picture of the controls to the prison cell block. The colonel appeared from the bottom of the screen. She was bandaged up now, sporting a rifle on her right shoulder.

Yellow knew her wife was seriously injured. Gem abilities were remarkable; even the most common Gem could withstand a few hundred pounds being dropped on them. They could also withstand small arms gunfire with only a scratch. Gems were very durable. The soldiers in the facility used armor-piercing bullets for this reason in particular.

"Hurry Blue, we gotta get the Gems out of here!" A young boy's voice could be heard just off-camera. The Diamond just continued to work the computer system in front of her until the unmistakable alarm announced the opening of cell doors. The colonel then walked off-camera, and the video ended.

(_Blue, god-dammit…_)

Aquamarine's face flickered back on screen. Yellow was beside herself with anger, she still wasn't entirely convinced that things were as they seemed. Aquamarine was just a little too eager to tell her story, and individual pieces did not seem to fit.

"Shortly after the Crystal Gems were released, they planted improvised explosive devices in the front of the building to cause a distraction and escape. You know the rest of the story." It was meant to sound somber, but the general could see how shallow the statement was.

"The DNA report, how many times was this test run?" White said, her temper once again level.

"The Peridot and medical officer in charge of the lab ran the test three times before coming to me with the results. They came to me first with the information due to its sensitive nature." The agent's tone was neutral.

White turned her small laptop towards Yellow, and the general quickly scanned the results. 25% of Blue Diamond's DNA was shared with this boy. Her head swam… Carissa is still alive? What was going on? Just so many damned questions.

"The Peridot and doctor; I want to speak to both of them, _now_," White demanded.

"I apologize, director. Both the Peridot and the medical officer were killed in the subsequent explosion." Aquamarine said flatly.

White bared her teeth and slapped her hand on the conference table in frustration. "Agent! I want the Crystal Gems and Blue Diamond found immediately! You will keep the details of the DNA test to yourself for now. I am _very displeased_ with how the situation has been handled thus far, letting those criminal slip through your grasp…"

"I understand, director. As soon as things are under control at Cane Island, we'll begin to comb the area for the fugitives." Aquamarine saluted then hung up the call.

White turned to Yellow, she leaned back in the office chair with her hands steepled just below her chin for a few moments.

"A lot is going on, a lot of questions, sunbeam." Her honeyed voice was quiet, and Yellow couldn't remember the woman looking quite as old as she did now.

"Mother, I spoke to Blue, _maybe_ four hours ago. She was coming back here; she was ready to end this." Yellow closed the laptop and rested her hands on either side of the computer.

"The biggest question I have is: How is this boy her grandson? It clearly means Carissa isn't dead… So where is she and how is she related to the Crystal Gems?" It seemed that White's head was spinning as fast as Yellow's. The general could only shake her head.

"General, you are to drop everything you're working on, and you are to assist in the capture of the Crystal Gems and Blue Diamond. This was a heinous attack…" Yellow Diamond gave an incredulous look.

"Mother, I have no problem being deployed, but you can't believe Blue would do that, do you?" Blue was many things and had many flaws, but a traitor wasn't one of them.

"Her mental state has been in question for years now! Years of depression and drinking can do that. I'm sorry, Melena, but those videos were very damming. I'm not putting it past her at this point." White gave her a hard look.

"There's too many questions, dammit! Why was the Cane Island facility blown up? Just to escape? That's not how she operates at all, it doesn't fit her profile! Blue has master access codes to all of the facilities we use. She could have easily found a way out without using any extreme measures…" Yellow took a deep breath.

"I'm not convinced that Agent Aquamarine is entirely forthcoming with us!" The general slammed her hand on the table, cracking the cherrywood finish.

"Well then, sunbeam, you'd better find Blue Diamond and fast. There's a lot of angry agents and officers chasing after these fugitives, hungry for blood. Especially Aquamarine."  
**… … … … … … … … …**

It was early, the rain had only just stopped, and the sky was just starting to lighten up. Garnet had slept, but it was restless; she had a lot on her mind. Pearl's confession last night was… It brought up a lot of emotions. To think that she worked for a Diamond for all those years and didn't know it. It bothered her, it rubbed on her mind like an ill-fitted shoe would on someone's foot.

"Hey," Amethyst came up and sat next to the tennis instructor against the barn wall.

"You're going to the large animal vet office you cased." As always, Garnet looked ahead.

"Yeah, we should go or, something. The Authority is bound to be searching for us now. I feel like we stayed here too long." The stout woman's eyes searching Garnet's.

"I'm not sure how to tackle this situation we're in." Since Rose's death, Garnet had led their band. Her guiding her and the Crystal Gems through many situations. Though they slowed their activities significantly when Steven started getting older. He was a growing boy, he needed stability.

He wasn't getting stability now, though. Everything was up in the air, and too many outcomes ended in tragedy. Garnet was their leader; she was their rock. She had to put her personal feelings for the Diamonds aside, and even her feelings on Rose had to take the backburner for the time being. They were all in grave danger. She was curious, though, and Amethyst was the most level headed at the moment besides herself.

"How do you feel about Blue Diamond in this situation?" Garnet's gaze went over to the woman as she lay sleeping, her arm protectively resting over Steven as he lay against her right side.

"_Pfff_, man, she's in deep with us. I think we can trust her for now, she's _really_ stuck on Steve-O. She liked him even before she found out little man was her grandson. He told me how he met her last night." Amethyst picked up a piece of straw and started to twist it around one of her fingers.

"So crazy… Steven being Blue Diamond's grandkid. Can't believe Rose lied to us…" The bartender got up and brushed her shorts off.

"It's on my shortlist of reasons why I'm even bothering committing a burglary for meds." Garnet nodded at the comment.

"What are the other reasons?" Amethyst crossed her arms.

"She saved Steven's life, she busted us out when she didn't have to. And, I don't have as big of a grudge with her and The Authority like you and Pearl do. I was never a part of that agency, remember?" She gave a wry smile to Garnet.

"Pearl's outside brooding by the front door just so you know. She said she was 'keeping watch.' I don't buy it, though." The bartender scuffed the floor with her Converse sneaker.

"Right, I'll jot down some names of basic meds that would work. Meanwhile, mark on the map where this vet is." Garnet grabbed Steven's notebook and pen and began scribbling. As a professional trainer, she knew a lot about sports medicine, and it was paying off in dividends right now.

"I'm going to gather everyone up here then meet you down the road in the bus. I'll be there by the time you've finished." Amethyst gave her a playful punch in the shoulder, grabbed Garnet's list, and a canvas bag with everything she needed for her operation as she stepped out of the barn.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

Steven stood by a wall of glass doors, the epicenter of any good gas station convenience store. He sighed and grabbed his favorite juice, Mango Madness. Then he wandered to the next aisle over where a colorful array of junk food snacks was displayed. Chaaps, beef jerky (it was the law, you have to eat beef jerky on road trips), trail mix.

The boy then saw Pearl in the aisle over; her light blue eyes were bloodshot, and she had her arms folded at the chest. The radiator was leaking on the old van, so naturally, the thin woman was in the automotive section looking for some sort of sealant. He walked over to her and wrapped his free arm around her waist, hugging her. She jumped, then looked down.

"Sweetheart, everything alright?" She knelt down and stroked one of his cheeks.

"I'm sorry I got into a fight and yelled at you. I was frustrated." Steven grabbed the hand that was resting on his cheek and squeezed.

"No, that was my fault. I've got to try a little harder to cooperate, considering our circumstances." Pearl stood and picked up some duct tape and a gallon of coolant.

"We should probably get back to the others." She nodded towards the cashier, and the pair went and paid for their things.

Steven felt a blast of hot air hit his face as Pearl opened the door for him to exit. The heat seemed unrelenting this August. They turned the corner to a more secluded spot in the gas station's parking lot. (It was by the dumpsters and furthest away from the store, so no one was parked there.)

"Hey, you guys find something to fix this?" Amethyst was leaning on the bumper while Garnet was standing and looking at the radiator.

"It's not a bad leak. This duct tape should do the trick." Pearl seemed so disconnected, so out of sync with the others. It bothered Steven.

"Well, you know what they say: If you can't duct it, fu-" Garnet elbowed Amethyst in the shoulder and looked at Steven.

"Uh, fu-get about it!" Amethyst gave a sheepish grin.

Steven smiled softly, he wasn't stupid, "Nice save Amethyst."

"Hey, I try my best, Steve-O!"

The boy climbed into the van to check on the one remaining member of their rag-tag group. Blue was situated in the very back. The curtains in the Volkswagen were drawn in her area so she could rest better. A light blanket was placed over her as she reclined across the bench seats. Steven grabbed a bottle of water from the 24 pack behind the driver's seat and picked up the trail mix he had just bought.

He squeezed his way next to Blue when he noticed a thin chain around her neck. She had the top two buttons of her shirt undone, and the chain stood out against the white bandages on her chest. The boy reached out tentatively; he was just so curious about this woman. Especially now that he learned they were related.

He had a grandmother, someone from his _mom's_ side of the family. Despite all the stories his dad and the Gems told him, he really didn't know anything about his mom. But here was this woman, and she raised his mother.

He gently reached for the chain, and it shifted with a rattle, which was when Blue grabbed his hand. It startled the boy.

"Sorry, Blue! I was just being nosey." She took a deep breath in through her nose and looked around confusedly for a few moments, then let the breath go when her eyes settled on Steven.

"Where, are we…?" She mumbled as her grasp on the boy's hand shifted, so she was holding his stubby fingers. Amethyst had gotten some medication, and one of them was a heavy pain killer. Blue seemed… _blurry_ around the edges.

"We're at a gas station, we had to stop because the radiator is leaking. But Pearl's fixing it." Steven cracked open the bottle of water he was holding and handed it to the injured woman. She nodded her thanks and downed half the bottle in one go.

"Do we know where we're going?" Blue shifted into a sitting position, still trying to shake off her muddled state of mind.

"No, Garnet just wanted us to get out of the general area. We're just kind of going northwest right now." The boy sat down next to her and fidgeted with his trail mix.

Blue made herself more comfortable and rested her right arm on the back of the seat. She straightened out her collar and pulled out the chain that was underneath her shirt, revealing a pair of dog tags. Steven instantly stopped what he was doing and stared wide-eyed at the adornment.

Blue leaned in, and the boy carefully brushed his fingers across the smooth stamped metal.

**Diamant**  
**Linna**  
**235879663125 AF**  
**O NEG**  
**AUTHORITY**

"So, your real name is Linna? I heard Pearl call you that last night, but I guess I didn't think about it."

"Blue Diamond… Blue, is a code name, a handle. My birth name is Linna." A sad smile drew across her face. The boy's fingers wandered to a beautiful gold ring hanging from the chain, with a diamond the color of the sun in its center.

"This your wedding ring?" Steven asked quietly.

"Yes, Yellow… Melena, gave it to me a long time ago." Blue said, her eyes focusing on some distant memory.

"Can I meet her someday?" The question jerked the Diamond from her thoughts, she had a very vulnerable look on her face.

"Yes, _of course_. Yellow would like that very much. Provided we can get ourselves out of this mess." Blue's arm moved from the back of the car seat to Steven's shoulder.

"Yeah, but what are we going to do? We have nothing G, and we can't run forever." The private moment Blue and Steven were sharing was interrupted.

Amethyst jumped in the seats in front of the pair and slouched down. The bus rocked as the hood was closed. Pearl soon entered the driver's seat and turned to make sure everyone was accounted for. Garnet stepped into the passenger area and slid the door shut.

"We need a plan, we've got nothing." The tennis instructor shook her head and took off her sunglasses.

"Aquamarine is a _monster_. She'll try and end our lives for sure. I hate to suggest this, but maybe if we turn ourselves in…" Pearl was biting her lip.

"Turn ourselves in? Are you nuts!? We have no proof that we didn't blow up that prison, it's our word against Aquamarine! What makes you think anyone in the Authority is going to take our word over that little psycho agent's?" Amethyst's scratchy voice was at a fever pitch.

"I'm inclined to agree with Amethyst, we need some leverage, and there is none. White Diamond can be fair and reasonable, but to satisfy her, we need evidence." Blue Diamond shook her head.

"There's proof, I've got it." Everyone looked at Steven.

The boy retrieved his cheeseburger backpack and pulled out his phone. He turned it on and flipped through some videos he took. There was one of Connie and him sword fighting, one of his dad playing guitar… There, the video he took of Aquamarine and Blue having a discussion in the office.

He turned the volume all the way up so Pearl could hear and showed Blue, Amethyst, and Garnet what transpired at the detention center on Cane Island. Aquamarine smugly bragging about her plan to kill Blue Diamond and taking her place, then framing the Crystal Gems with destroying the prison and then keeping Steven detained indefinitely for study…

"Holy cow Steven! How did you even know to record that!?" Amethyst bounced up and started messing up his hair. The boy laughed and ducked out of reach. Garnet looked at him, and he handed the phone over to her so she could show Pearl.

"I just got a bad feeling with Aquamarine, so when Blue was talking to me the other night, and she walked in with her guards, I took my phone out and started recording." He looked up at Blue, who smiled in turn.

"This is good, this is really good. Steven, you are so smart, I'm so proud of you." Pearl said, gazing at him from the driver's seat.

"We can take this to White Diamond, she'll stop this madness if she sees this." Blue's tone was confident, an energy seemed to pulse through her that was missing before.

"We'll have to race Aquamarine to DC. There's also the matter of Yellow Diamond…" Garnet was chewing on the inside of her lip.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Yellow Diamond was deployed once the situation became out of hand. She will be targeting me mostly… And probably, Steven. I may be able to reason with her if we run into her, let me handle it." The Diamond stared intently at Garnet.

"Alright, we have a plan. Let's head for DC and see if we can outmaneuver Aquamarine and her forces." Garnet exited through the sliding door and made for the front passenger seat as Pearl started the Volkswagen.

There was a chance; it wasn't a perfect plan, but if they succeeded, the Gems could make it out of this alive. Blue wrapped her arms around Steven and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Steven just smiled and leaned into the woman's embrace.


	12. Hot on the Trail

Yellow stood in the front courtyard of the Cane Island detention facility. Eyes scanning the carnage before her. The fire was devastating, so much so that the building was structurally compromised. The explosion breached the boiler room damaging the foundation.

The fire was nothing more than smoldering embers, and the injured were airlifted to nearby medical facilities. The only thing left was finding casualties and starting a manhunt for the fugitives. The general snorted; Aquamarine had underestimated Blue Diamond and the Crystal Gems. She was inside tearing the prison apart on the off chance they were still here. Yellow knew better. (Yellow knew Blue, there's no way she would have stayed on compound.)

It was early; the sun was just rising, making the water puddles on the ground look like molten metal. The air was already sticky and dense, it would be a hot South Carolina day. Yellow looked over to see the hulking figure of Jasper marching up. She was the only agent that the general took with her when White ordered her to the facility.

"What did you find in the parking garage?" Yellow said, her voice drawled out with practiced boredom. A tactic she frequently used to keep those around her from figuring out her train of thought.

"Weapons, ammo and a radio missing from the guard station and broken locker. The broken locker was checked out to Blue Diamond." Jasper replied, gruffly. She nodded to Yellow, and her wild mane of platinum blonde hair moved slightly with the motion.

"They've already left then." The general _tsk'd_ shaking her head.

"It's obvious they did, ma'am." Even Jasper put the pieces together.

"Blue keeps an emergency bag with her when on assignment, in case she has to leave in a hurry. It's a good practice for anyone in our line of work. She keeps money and other resources in there. Almost all of it is untraceable." Yellow began strolling across the blackened courtyard and motioned for Jasper to follow.

"_Err_, then why is agent Aquamarine still inside looking for the suspects?" The six-foot woman asked nervously.

Yellow took a deep breath before answering her, "I'm glad I'm not the only one seeing inconsistencies in this situation." Yellow stopped and made sure that no one else was in earshot of their conversation.

"I'm not convinced everything happened as Aquamarine reported. I brought you along, Jasper because I trust you and your judgment. You are to report and answer to me only, is that understood?" The agent straightened and nodded. Jasper has been and still is one of her most trusted associates, she's been under Yellow's command for years now.

"What I'm about to share is to remain confidential until we figure out what has happened exactly." The general craned her neck to one side cracking it; on the quick flight over, she had dozed off in an awkward position.

"I believe that Aquamarine had a hand in the events that occurred here, and the situation didn't turn out as she desired. Which would explain why she's inside the facility still looking for our suspects,"

"And not proceeding with a manhunt of the area." Jasper finished Yellow's thoughts for her. The imposing woman clenched her jaw and glanced back to the ruined building.

"I can already tell you what's going to happen, and I'm going to ask you to play along for the time being. Aquamarine isn't going to find anything except corpses in that building. She will then start an organized manhunt. Maybe a 50-mile radius?" Yellow continued to stroll across the yard, and Jasper followed.

"It's a gross mishandling of the situation. Aquamarine doesn't have as much field experience as you or I. She's more accustomed to investigative research and criminal profiling." Jasper cleared her throat once Yellow was finished speaking.

"What will you be doing, ma'am?"

"Right now? You and I are going to find out where our fugitives escaped from. I'm going to follow the trail from there ahead of everyone else. I have a concern that if Aquamarine gets to them before you or I…, The truth will be obfuscated." Yellow had walked all the way from the courtyard, past the loading docks to the parking garage.

"The locker was pried open, then they went over to guard post four." Jasper walked the general through everything that was done without even being prompted. The officers in the room saluted both Yellow and Jasper, but the pair ignored them.

"My guess is they went back out and escaped through one of the drainage ditches." Jasper briskly walked back over to the garage entrance. "Nobody saw them do this, because at one point the power took out the electricity and the backup generators. It was a worst-case scenario situation for the facility."

Yellow Diamond nodded; Jasper was _good_. "Let's go check out the drainage system."

The pair hiked over to the muddy, gravel embankments that surrounded the entire facility. Reeds and other local fauna covered much of the area, really it should be cleaned and cut regularly. Complacency reared its ugly head.

Jasper skidded down, followed by Yellow. The pair inspecting the first of about a dozen drainage grates. Thick rusted metal crisscrossed over a five-foot-tall tunnel that went on for roughly another ten feet to an identical metal grate on the other side.

"Not this one," Jasper said more to herself.

"It has to be close, they wouldn't go out of their way unless there was reason to." Yellow huffed irately as she looked around.

The general trudged further down the ditch, as she looked around, she noted a semi-trailer nearby. Drainage grate number two… was completely rent from where it was initially anchored.

"Whoa," was Jasper's reply as Yellow gave her a smug look.

The two women followed the tunnel out to a small muddy inlet where multiple pairs of footprints were. "Here we are. They went south, at least for a time. What town is south of here, on the coast?"

"McClellanville, small town. Mostly Oyster boats and farms. Maybe a three to four-hour trek on foot, they would have had to swim across the Santee to get there." Jasper replied.

"Alright, I'm going to make a short visit to agent Aquamarine. You, agent Jasper, are going to play along and monitor her for me and help her organize a manhunt. Meanwhile, I'm going to break off and follow this trail… I'm estimating that the Crystal Gems have about a 10-hour lead, give or take." Yellow narrowed her eyes and peered across the river.

"Understood ma'am, but Aquamarine is not stupid. She's going to want to follow you, you're the best tracker the Authority has." Yellow looked over at Jasper.

"Normally I could stop her, but White has given her full control. Stall her. If you can't stall, at least tip me off if she's shadowing me." Jasper gave a stern nod to the general.

"We have to find the Crystal Gems and Blue Diamond first and foremost. If Aquamarine finds them before us, there will be a lot of unnecessary bloodshed. Then no one will know what truly happened."  
**… … … … … … … … …**

The group was silent, an uneasy truce had mollified any anger that may have been simmering beneath the surface. Blue was dozing somewhat uncomfortably in the back; the highway they had been traversing was now quiet and dark. Steven had graciously moved to the seats a row over so she could be more comfortable. The Diamond was restless; however, she probably needed another dose of pain medication.

She looked down, her hand resting over the wound in her side. Blue lifted up the bottom of her shirt and swore softly as she saw the dark stain saturating the gauze. Even in the dark, she could see it. The wound wouldn't stop hemorrhaging.

"You still bleeding?" A scratchy voice said softly. Violet eyes and a bruised nose poked up from the seat in front of her.

"I don't know if the exit wound is as clean as it seems to be. I may still have shrapnel in my side." Blue let her head fall on the back of her seat.

"If we were a little closer to Delmarva, we could have used one of our… friends to help you out. But we're just shit out of luck right now." The violet eyes disappeared for a moment, and some rustling could be heard. Then a tan hand with a bottle of Tramadol came into view.

"Garnet gave you one pill last time, so I think that's probably good for now. No directions, this was meant for someone's pet…" A sheepish grin and a shrug followed.

The stout woman carefully leaned forward towards the front passenger seat and shook Garnet awake. "G, I think we need to stop. Blue D is having issues, and everyone probably needs a break."

"We're in a town called Emporia we crossed into Virginia about an hour ago. If I remember the map correctly, we're just outside of Norfolk; we should easily find a motel there." Pearl said, her eyes never leaving the road.

"I think that would be a good idea. We could all use a bed to sleep in for at least a night. That and we're pretty far out from the prison." The tennis instructor stretched and rubbed her eyes. The group had traveled far to the west, as far away from the coast as they could. Then doubled back towards Virginia Beach. The goal was to avoid the radius of any manhunts in operation.

The plan was going smoothly so far, they were a stone's throw away from DC. Blue only had to figure out how to discreetly contact White Diamond and inform her about Aquamarine. Then, whatever happens… happens.

The aged Volkswagen putted along the highway and turned into a parking lot with bright LED lights. They pierced the darkness that covered the interior of the van. Relief washed over the group when they parked, and Amethyst opened the door.

"Pearl and I will go in and see if there's vacancy. Stay put, we'll be back soon." The pair left, and only crickets could be heard outside along with soft sleeping sounds from an exhausted Steven Universe.

Blue sat up slowly and painfully shifted, she moved to exit, but the 12 year-old was comically hanging off the side of his seat. Arm and head dangling over the edge.

"_Eh_, how?" Blue was perplexed as Amethyst gave a throaty chuckle.

"Yeah, little man can sleep just about anywhere. Crazy little meatball." Blue watched as the woman beamed at the boy. Love softening the corners of her eyes.

"It must have been wonderful watching him grow the way he has." The Diamond had a wistful tone in her voice.

"Yeah, I mean, hell, it wasn't easy. I didn't sign on for it; me with a kid? Worst idea ever. But Rose didn't make it, and she would have wanted me and the others to look out for Steve-O." Amethyst shifted and half picked up Steven so that he was lying on her lap.

Blue looked away, tears rolling down her face. "Sorry, BD, this must be really hard for you. Finding out… everything like this. It's not sitting good with Garnet and me either. There's like, a lot of questions. We've just put it aside for now, ya know?"

"Hey, two rooms. 314 and 315, the rest is booked; there's a huge jazz festival in Norfolk this weekend." Garnet had popped her head into the side of the van and glanced over at Steven.

"Gotcha, G squad. Help me get Steve-O outta here?" The black woman nodded and carefully picked up Steven.

A shower and a warm bed sounded like heaven at the moment.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

Steven woke up because a thin beam of sunlight was hitting his face. He stretched and noted an arm rested loosely across his waist. He looked over and saw Pearl sleeping next to him, her thin frame lightly rising and falling with slumber.

It finally dawned on the boy, they were in a hotel. Garnet was resting on the bed next to his, she was mostly awake. Her monochromatic eyes glanced at the boy before returning to the news on TV.

"Hello Steven, you slept for quite a while." Her soft British accent drifting through the air.

"When did we get to the hotel?" He yawned and stretched.

"Early, we're in Virginia close to Norfolk. We all figured we were in a good enough spot to take a break. You should probably take a shower, you'll feel better, I know I do." Steven got up enthusiastically, and ran for the bathroom.

It had been rough, everyone had been maintaining themselves with sanitizing wipes, but it was a tall order considering they swam through a swampy river at the outset. Steven turned on the water and jumped out of his clothes and just stood underneath the showerhead for a long moment. Best shower ever. He then shampooed and quickly finished; he wanted Pearl to have some hot water too.

The boy dried off and investigated the stitches over his left eyebrow. It seemed like forever since the accident happened. Really it had only been a week and a half at most. The bruise was a yellow-greenish color, and from what Steven could see, things were coming along nicely. The boy then wondered how Blue was doing.

Pearl had woken up and opened the curtains while Steven had been showering. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked owlishly at the boy. "Steven, did you dry off your back? The back of your shirt is all wet."

"Oh, uh, I guess I was in a hurry." Steven gave an apologetic grin. Pearl shook her head as she walked to the bathroom, and Garnet just chuckled.

"Where's Amethyst and Blue?" He really wanted to see both of them. Somehow not having them both near was making him feel anxious.

"It's alright Steven, they're in the room right next door, 315." Garnet seemed to pick up on his anxiety.

"I'm checking up on them." The boy said in a sing-song voice.

"Good, tell them we're getting ready, and we'll meet them downstairs at breakfast." The tennis instructor said as Steven walked out the door.

"Steve-meister!" Amethyst was just walking out of her room.

"Garnet said-"

"I heard her, I'm getting breakfast first. They got waffles downstairs!" She walked over to Steven and gave him a rough hug. The boy just laughed.

"Is Blue okay?"

"She's, hurting, but hanging in there. She'd probably like it if you stopped in." The stout woman handed him a key card and continued down the hall. "Waffles, Steven! Don't miss out!"

He used the key card and carefully opened the door, the room was just a mirror of the one he had been sleeping in. The curtains were still pulled shut with a halo of light encroaching at the edges. Blue sat on the edge of the bed closest to the door brushing her long silvery locks while watching the news.

"Hey, Blue!" Steven said he was satisfied to see her up and getting ready. The woman turned, her eyebrows canting up as she set the hairbrush down.

"Steven, you sleep alright, love?" Her lilting accent was warm, and she patted on the bed inviting Steven to sit next to her.

"Yeah, I guess I was tired. You feeling better?" He crawled up on the bed and sat cross-legged.

"It's amazing what a little sleep in a proper bed can do for you." Blue didn't answer Steven's question.

"Is that a yes or a no?" The boy said, narrowing his eyes.

"You shouldn't worry about how I'm doing." The Irish woman tilted her head up a bit.

"You still haven't answered my question, Blue," The 12 year-old persisted, he wasn't going to let this go.

"Why you cheeky little boy!" Blue said exasperatedly as she suddenly turned and started tickling Steven's sides. He laughed and squirmed until he had tears in his eyes.

"Blue stop!" Finally, the assault ended; the boy was lying on the bed catching his breath with Blue looming over him. She had a tender expression on her face that spoke volumes on how she felt about Steven.

"We're almost there, what's going to happen? Can-can I still see you?" The boy whispered, they had become so close.

"Of course, if that's what you'd like." The boy nodded, and Blue held him close. After a long moment, she pulled back and sat up.

"We should probably go downstairs, Garnet wants to figure out what to do next… and there's waffles." Blue chuckled and stood with Steven following suit.

The woman grabbed her bag and opened the door, letting Steven go ahead of her. The pair walked a ways down the hall towards the elevators when Blue stopped, holding her side.

"I knew you weren't okay!" Blue only shook her head.

"I don't have the luxury of being injured, I can't sit this out. I'm okay because I have to be, Steven." The boy was holding her hand; she needed to be in a hospital.

Blue let go of Steven's hand and gently carded her fingers through his hair, "Come, let's go downstairs and figure out what to do next." The duo started for the elevators again when a commanding voice rang out down the hall.

"What are you doing, _Blue_?"

A figure stood tall at the end of the hallway. She had black Kevlar armor and spiky blonde hair that was swept impeccably off to the side. Her eyes were the color of molten gold.

"How did you find us, Yellow!?" Blue stepped in front of Steven protectively.

"That's not important. What are you doing?" The blonde grit her teeth, and a distinct vein popped out of her right temple.

Just from the short conversation with Blue and other context clues, Steven knew this was Yellow Diamond.


	13. Blue vs Yellow

An azure aura materialized around Blue Diamond. She was hoping that this confrontation wouldn't happen. Yellow wasn't unreasonable, but she is a single-minded woman when angry. Blue glanced down at the 12 year-old, "Steven, go find the others."

"I'm not leaving you, Blue!" Steven whispered back. He was adamant, the Diamond had her work cut out for her.

"Blue, you're coming with me. You're under arrest." The general strode forward with purpose.

"Don't come any closer, I'm in a bit of a state at the moment." Blue held out her hand in warning. She didn't know if she could adequately grapple with Yellow in her current condition if it came down to it.

Yellow halted a few feet away, the muscles in her jaw clenching and unclenching. She was working something out; the Irish woman could see the indecision warring within her. They'd known each other for so long, Blue could read her like an open book.

"I don't think you're responsible for the destruction of the detention facility. There's a lot of questions, and Aquamarine is trying to cover up something. Come with me, I can protect you from _her_." There was the heart of the matter, Yellow Diamond to the rescue.

"There's a problem with that." Blue glanced down at Steven.

"The boy can come with us, but we _need_ to get ahead of Aquamarine." Yellow took a couple steps forward, and Blue stepped back in turn.

"I'm not leaving without my family!" Steven said, panic creeping into his voice.

"I made a promise that I would get Steven out of this mess. He's not leaving the Crystal Gems; therefore, I can't leave him." She stepped away from Yellow even further.

"That and I'm not entirely sure you can protect us, Aquamarine has a considerable amount of assistance from the inside."

"You don't trust me?" Yellow made a face as if she had swallowed something bitter. (In a way she had, the truth could be overwhelmingly bitter.)

"I trust _you_, darling. I don't trust the Authority." Both Blue and Steven had been steadily walking backward, the pair was now near an exterior window with an emergency exit just off to the side.

"There's proof, Yellow! But we have to get to White, I don't know how much support Aquamarine has from Headquarters." Blue watched as the general struggled with the next course of action. She was an Authority woman through and through, however.

"You and the boy are coming with me." Yellow Diamond sped forward at blinding speed, grabbing Blue's arm.

Blue shoved Steven off to the side and blasted Yellow square in the chest. It caught her by surprise, but she still hadn't let go. Blue hit the general in the chest again with another blast, this one causing her to stumble several feet back.

The pair stared at each other for a moment in shock, they'd never gotten into a physical altercation against each other before. It only lasted a moment, though, and Yellow Diamond charged again. Her abnormal speed giving her a tremendous amount of momentum. The pair sailed out of the window from the third floor.

Blue would be alright, at least she thought so. She wasn't in the best of health. Yellow would undoubtedly be up and ready to go soon after. Steven screamed something from above, and the colonel wasn't exactly sure what he said.

The pair landed on a car below, glass exploding everywhere as the axels of the vehicle gave way under the force. The air was knocked out of Blue's lungs, and a hot shooting pain was running up her left side. She had to get up, she had to keep moving.

Yellow gasped for breath as she jumped off the wreckage and stumbled forward. Her ragged voice cut through the haze of pain, "Blue!?"

The colonel rolled off what was left of the vehicle and landed on her hands and knees, she wasn't going to win. Abruptly two sandaled feet landed neatly in front of Blue Diamond; it startled her. A gentle magenta light radiated in front of her. Steven was trying to protect her again.

"Stop! Stop fighting!" Blue looked up, the boy had summoned his shield. Blue reached out and clutched at his pant leg. She wanted to tell him to run, but she just couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

"You don't want to fight me, boy, you'll lose…" Yellow warned as danger sparked from her fingers.

Voices were barking from around the corner, "The noise came from the area over here!"

"I want them found now!" A sharp, high-pitched British accent clipped. Aquamarine was here.

Adrenaline flooded the colonel's veins shaking her from her stupor. She quickly grabbed Steven and ran to a nearby entrance, hands frantically looking for her key fob. The colonel looked at Steven, but the boy just shook his head.

"You dropped this." A mezzo-soprano voice hissed at the pair. Yellow Diamond reached over and unlocked the hotel door. The trio quickly ran down the hall and ducked into the nearby laundry room. Steven entered last and slammed the aluminum door shut and turned the bolt home.

"You led them right to us, Yellow!" Blue yelled once the door had closed behind them. The smell of industrial cleaner mingled with bleach; dryers humming in the background. Sound was oddly muted in the room.

"They're not supposed to be here! It took everything I had to keep one step ahead of Aquamarine and find you! I was only working with one other person…" The austere woman brought her hand up to her right cheekbone, some minor cuts from her trip out the window.

Blue's vision grew blurry, and she caught herself on a nearby table, her hands were covered in blood. "Jesus Christ!" Yellow started to walk forward, but the colonel only held out a stained hand.

"Don't, I'm not sure what you're about right now, Yellow." The expression on Yellow's face was one of genuine hurt, she looked as if Blue had physically struck her.

"You can't possibly think-" More yelling followed by heavy footfalls was heard, Steven had been listening at the door while Blue and Yellow bickered.

"Blue, we gotta get out of here!" The colonel took a deep breath and steadied herself. The Crystal Gems had to know that the Authority was skulking around the hotel by now.

"If we leave this room and turn down the hallway to the left, we'll be able to exit on the same side as the Volkswagen." Blue pressed her hands to her side as she stood up straight.

"This is Ludacris! We're not getting out of this room without a fight!" Blue arched an eyebrow at Yellow.

"Oh? So, you're helping me now?"

"I'm trying to get you out of this alive! And him too!" The general said through clenched teeth as she flung her arm towards Steven.

"I've got an idea! What if we make everyone leave the building at once? It'll be super confusing and make it harder for us to be found!"

"Clever boy. Do it."

Blue nodded in agreement as Steven ran over to a small alcove were some fire extinguishers, and a building fire alarm were located. The boy jumped up and yanked on it; the ensuing noise was almost deafening.

It was crazy enough to work. Yellow opened the door and poked her head out; a few confused hotel guests were running to the front of the building, but the hallways were otherwise deserted. She jerked her head, motioning for the other two to follow.

The trio navigated through the eerily empty corridors, alarms ringing the entire way. Finally, a sunlit filled glass door was in sight, and Blue sighed in relief. She reached out to push open the door but only found red carpeting rising up to meet her.

"Blue!" Steven was at her side instantly. "Come on, we're almost there!"

"I've got her." The colonel felt strong arms enveloping her and lifting her up off the ground. Gilt colored eyes met arctic blue ones. "I've got you."

"The Gems!" Steven shoved the door open and gave a quick look around before running out. The van was right there, and Amethyst was hanging out the side door waving for the group to jump in.

"Go!" Blue shouted at Yellow.

"But!?"

"Just do it dammit, they're not stopping because they have time!" Yellow didn't wait again; she ran to the vehicle and jumped in just as it was peeling away.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

"What the actual hell!" Amethyst said as she slammed the door. Her violet eyes grew wide as her hand went to the gun in her waistband.

"What's happening back there!?" Pearl said as she strategically used a back alley to get away from the hotel to the strip mall next door.

"Keep driving Pearl, we're alright." Blue watched as Garnet made sure Steven was sitting in a seat.

"Yeah, we're perfect, we got Yellow freaking Diamond in our van right now!" Amethyst said, her eyes never leaving the general.

"This is great, Blue, right out of the frying pan and into the fire!" The blonde growled.

"She won't do anything, I vouch for her." The Irish woman said weakly. This was going to be a hard sell.

"Yellow's okay, she's here for Blue, right?" Steven was such a voice of reason. Blue had no doubt he could sell an anchor to a drowning man if he wanted to.

His brown eyes bore into Yellow's, "I couldn't take on four Gems by myself on my best day."

Steven gave an uncertain look, and Garnet leaned forward, her expression unreadable beneath her sunglasses. "I came for Blue! I'm trying to straighten this damn mess out. And for the record, I came _alone_; I was followed."

"She can be trusted, for now," Garnet said sitting back, Amethyst shook her head and leaned on the back of the front passenger seat. Pearl hit a speed bump just a little too fast as she made for the highway and Blue yelped.

"Holy jeez, man!" The bartender scooted closer as Garnet kneeled. Blue was being held in Yellow's lap just behind the driver's seat on the floor of the Volkswagen.

"Let me see." The tennis instructor said gently, taking Blue's wrist and pulling her hand away from her side. Fresh blood welled up from her wound through saturated dressing. Garnet nodded over to Amethyst, who, in turn, grabbed a nearby canvas bag full of medical supplies.

"You can't go on like this." The woman said, taking off her sunglasses.

"She needs medical attention!" Yellow barked, as Amethyst placed some gauze pads on Blue's side. The general pressed down, and Blue clutched at Yellow's shirt collar. It wasn't even close to the worst wound she'd ever received, but it was the longest she'd ever been without proper medical attention.

"We can't take her to an emergency room without alerting all the law enforcement in the area!" Pearl said, half yelling. She had a point.

"Get through Norfolk and head to the Chesapeake Tunnel. We're going to pay Lapis a visit." The tennis instructor said, shaking her head.

"Dude, there's no way she's going to help. You know how she feels about… Them!" Amethyst said, motioning to both Blue and Yellow. "Even if she agreed to help, you'd have to deal with Bismuth!"

"We're out of options! Blue Diamond won't make it to DC like this, and Aquamarine is looking for us up this way now." The black woman sat back down on the seat. "I'll speak with them when we get there, they'll be angry, but they won't turn us away. Bismuth and I go way back."

An uneasy silence fell across the group, as Amethyst clambered up into the front passenger seat to make more room in the back. They were getting assistance from some associates of the Crystal Gems. It explained how they were so well organized and always seemed to be one step ahead of the Authority whenever they clashed. It all made sense to Blue now that she was getting this first-hand view of how they operated.

Her vision grew blurry, she was so tired. "Stay with me, Linna," Yellow mumbled into her ear, her warm breath caressing her cheek. The general adjusted herself carefully, so Blue's head rested on her shoulder. She placed a black leather-clad hand over Linna's own, applying more pressure to the wound. Blue hissed, and Yellow held her closer placing her chin on the crown of her head.

"Blue?" Steven scooted off the car seat and rested his hands on her knees.

"S'alright, Steven?" She said softly.

"I'm… I'm trying to be." He was such a sincere boy, Blue found it very novel in this day and age.

"I'm trying to be alright too."  
**… … … … … … … … …**

They slipped right through her grasp again! It was the most infuriating thing! Aquamarine kicked over a chair, and it skidded over the floor, hitting an industrial-sized washing machine making a hollow metallic bang.

She paced the room angrily. She knew Yellow Diamond would track them down, it was her specialty. She was an apex predator in that fashion. Which was why she played along and seemingly went on with her manhunt in South Carolina. In actuality, she was keeping tabs on General Diamant.

Aquamarine tracked her progress to McClellanville, listening in on radio communications and watching cell phone towers. The breakthrough was when the general got a very distinct ID and description from a gas station attendant on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. That's when the agent knew she needed to break from her manhunt and intercept Yellow Diamond.

But she slipped away, Aquamarine should have brought more officers with her. The Crystal Gems made short work of them. One of them had the audacity to throw a couple officers into a dumpster, the same one that threw her in the trash in Beach City. The nerve!

Then an ill-timed fire alarm caused chaos in the hotel she was searching, and the Crystal Gems and Blue Diamond just slipped away. All this and then Jasper…

She was just about useless when they got to the hotel. Aquamarine even noted that the agent purposely sent her officers to stand watch in areas that didn't need it… She was working with Yellow Diamond, she was convinced. Jasper was also constantly calling and giving updates while the manhunt was going on near the prison.

The diminutive Gem now strolled over to the imposing woman. Aquamarine was not happy.

"I know you're working with Yellow Diamond. Where did she go?" Jasper snorted condescendingly.

"She didn't relay that information to me, ma'am." Jasper sneered.

Aquamarine nodded to two of her officers, one kicked the back of the agent's knee as the other moved to hold her hands behind her back. The pair were now at eye-level.

"One more time: Where is Yellow Diamond?" Aquamarine grit her teeth.

"I don't know! She didn't say where she was going, and it's on a need to know basis anyways. You've bent a lot of regs agent. I will report it!" Jasper was not to be crossed, but neither was Aquamarine. She'd deal with this overstuffed goon later.

"Keep her under watch," Aquamarine said to the officers.

"Topaz, you are to gather the officers from the manhunt down south a transport them here. We're combing the area." The bulky, platinum blonde woman made to walk out of the hotel laundry room.

"One last thing Topaz; don't fail me again. I expect full effort and loyalty in this matter." Aquamarine cracked her knuckles as she gave an icy look to the bulky woman.

"Yes ma'am," The hulking figured exited with hardly a sound.


	14. The Farm

It was the end of another beautiful day. Crickets chirped in the long grass and fireflies started blinking in the air as the sunset into a cushion of pink and orange clouds. Bismuth was working late on a project, but she had stopped to sit on the porch of her workshop. It was one of those perfect endings at the end of a summer day that couldn't be ignored.

She glanced over at Peridot, who was having a conversation across the yard with the farmer that rented their farmland for planting crops. The three of them leased out the land next to nothing as their own occupations made more than enough money to support themselves.

Bismuth made metal artwork and shoed horses for Lapis. Lapis owned the large animal vet clinic that resided in the barn (the largest in the area to boot). And Peridot was the resident tech and green thumb. Which was why she was talking to their neighbor farmers; they were good at growing crops before. After Peridot moved in and started consulting, every harvest was a bumper crop.

It was a good life, dull but good. It beat being in prison. Bismuth shook off a chill despite the late August heat. She shifted in her camp chair and rested her booted feet on the railing of the porch. The _bad_ old days, she was so angry back then, but not so much now.

Garnet was the one who pointed Bismuth in the veterinarian's direction. Lapis needed help shoeing horses at her clinic, and Bismuth was a skilled blacksmith. The rest is history.

Time passed, and the blacksmith began doing more with metal then just shoeing horses. Both Lapis and Peridot encouraged her metal sculptures and even built her a workshop on their land. Now she was a successful artist with a studio. (With a home, and family.)

Mary J. Blige's _Real Love_ played on an old radio on the window sill, Bismuth turned it up and hooked her thumbs into her overalls. She was a sucker for 90s hip-hop.

Rustling grass turned the blacksmith's attention to the approaching Peridot, proceeded by the stout and sassy Pembroke Corgi, Pumpkin. The dog clambered up the steps and greeted Bismuth with a sharp bark and a nudge to the leg for attention. "Alright, man, you are _pushy_!"

"Ah, working late, the hallmark of many a true artist. Salvador Dali was rumored to have worked late at night, you know." Peridot carefully climbed the three steps up to the porch, her cane helping to keep her balanced. She was missing her right leg just below the knee. An injury from an op gone wrong with the Authority. She now had to wear a prosthetic to get around.

"Yeah, but the man also had issues with the ladies and his dad. I like to think I'm more even than that, tiny." Peridot flashed a quick grin at the nick-name and sat in the other available camp chair.

Bismuth watched as the petite woman seemed to hunch down in her seat a little. Her hand brushing through medium bed-head haircut. "Hey, tiny, I'm sure it's nothing; Greg will call tomorrow, and it'll just be something ridiculous."

"Lapis doesn't think so, and I have my own doubts." Peridot sighed heavily.

Greg Universe had called about four days ago and said Steven was missing, along with the Gems. At first, the trio thought it was just an over-worried dad. Steven, (poor little meatball) was in a car wreck on his birthday. The party was called off just as they were leaving the farm for Beach City. Bismuth figured with Steven still on the mend it was unlikely the Gems took him anywhere, and Greg was just overreacting. But, it had been _four days_ now…

"Lapis was crying in the shower this morning. She's so worried." The technician added. It was rare for Peridot to talk so openly about her and Lapis' relationship, they were a _very_ private couple. Even around Bismuth, and she'd been living on the farm with them for ten years now.

The corgi left the blacksmith's side and pawed at Peridot's leg. "It's okay Pumpkin, I'm sure this will sort itself out."

Bismuth leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, dreadlocks falling over her shoulders. "Hmmm, you weren't expecting any clients, were you?"

"No, I don't make appointments this late for viewings. An emergency visit?" The blacksmith stood and peered over at the dirt road that led to the vet clinic. Bismuth leaped over the porch banister and whistled.

"That van, though! I'd bet you all the money in the bank that that's a 1970-something Volkswagen bus. A real blast from the past!" Bismuth couldn't help but smile.

"_Nyeh_, we should probably see if Lapis needs help, this has to be an emergency vet visit," Peridot said before making her way down the steps to the gravel pathway where it was more comfortable to walk.

Bismuth moved a little more quickly with Pumpkin nipping at her heels. She watched as the outside light on the side of the farmhouse flicker on. Lapis stepped out in a pair of yoga pants and a v-neck t-shirt with some sneakers. (It looked like she was getting ready for a quick run.)

The blacksmith got within yelling range of the veterinarian. "Hey, you expecting someone?"

"No, I didn't get a phone call or anything." Lapis moved her blue colored hair and bangs out of her face as she spoke. The pair met up in the center of the long driveway up to the barn, they were both being a bit cautious now. Emergency vet visits were usually proceeded by a phone call.

"Lapis! It's us!" Steven barreled around from the side of the van.

"Steven! Where have you been!?" Lapis Lazuli fell to her knees as Steven ran into her arms.

"Hey-hey, Steven! You had us all worried to _death_, your dad called and-" Bismuth stopped as the blood ran cold in her veins.

There was Yellow Diamond holding Blue Diamond with Garnet assisting. Amethyst came around the front of the van as Pearl stepped out of the driver's side door.

"Lapis, Bismuth, we need your help," Garnet said while draping Blue Diamond's arm around her shoulder. The Diamond was bleeding profusely from her left side.

"Garnet, you got a lot of explaining to do." Bismuth made a fist so tight her nails were biting into her palm.  
**… … … … … … … … …**

"I can explain everything, but I need you to _trust_ me," Garnet said, taking off her sunglasses.

Steven watched as a range of emotions played across the blacksmith's face. Anger, fear, disbelief a whole rainbow of emotions. He felt Lapis' hand tighten around his shoulder, the boy turned his head and looked at her.

"Lapis, we need you, _please_!" Steven begged in a rough whisper. Dark blue eyes stared at the 12 year-old uncertainly. She sighed deeply and gave Steven one last quick squeeze before getting up. She pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and jogged over to the office entrance of the clinic.

"Hey, did the back exam room get restocked and sanitized today?" The question was directed at Peridot who had just ambled over, her jaw was hanging. Steven clutched the bottom of his shirt; there was so much bad history between the Diamonds and the Gems. He didn't know the whole story, but it was intense.

"Dot!?" The technician visibly jumped at veterinarian's impatience.

"Uh, err, yes, everything is set up and ready to go. The volunteers cleaned it up before they left for the day." Peridot moved over next to Steven, Pumpkin following. The corgi nuzzled Steven's hand with her cold nose, and he sat down on his knees and hugged her.

"So, we're going to help the damn Diamonds!?" Bismuth was _hot_.

"This is our family, they trusted us in the past when there was no reason too," Lapis said as she unlocked the glass door. "We're supposed to be Crystal Gems, we might as well act like it." The vet held the door as Yellow and Garnet ushered Blue inside. It never occurred to Steven that Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth may be Gems too…

"I'll be in my workshop if someone wants to come and explain what the hell is going on!" The blacksmith stomped off in the other direction, swearing under her breath. Amethyst shrugged at the remaining group and ran after her.

"I'm going to go in and see if I can help. Can you keep an eye on…?"

"But of course, _I_ am an expert at watching boys named Steven!" Pearl gave a halfhearted smile and turned to go into the building. The technician placed a warm hand between Steven's shoulder blades. She looked down at the boy, her glasses glinting dully in the dim light.

"_What_, is going on, Steven?" He didn't know why, but the question opened a floodgate of emotions. He stood and slammed Peridot into a hug.

"_Aw_, shucks…" The woman dropped her cane and wrapped her arms around Steven. It was unusual, Peridot wasn't big on physical affection.

"It's been horrible! I-I don't know where to start…" He sobbed.

"Come on, let's go over by the tree. You can recount everything for Pumpkin and me." Peridot was doing her best, and Steven loved her for it. She was patting him on the back, somewhat mechanically trying to comfort him.

The boy pulled out of the embrace and wiped his tears as he picked up Peri's cane. The duo then made it over to "the tree." It was a grand old oak near a worn wooden fence. When Steven visited the farm, he would usually make it a point to climb its sturdy branches. (Much to Pearl's annoyance.)

The duo sat down next to its gnarled roots, and once again, the floodgates opened. Steven spilled his guts about everything that happened. Blue Diamond, Aquamarine chasing them, the prison. The abandoned barn in South Carolina, Yellow Diamond, and the hotel. And of course, Steven's newfound abilities.

"Wow." It was the only thing that Peridot could say, her green eyes wide.

"I know… it's hard to believe."

Steven wandered a couple feet away from where the technician was sitting. "So, you have powers… You're a gem?"

"Yeah, I'll show you." The boy widened his stance and felt a strange power within him. Then a familiar magenta bulwark appeared.

"Steven! That's amazing!" Peridot scrambled to her feet and hobbled over, seemingly forgetting her cane.

"The genetic implications… A male Gem!" Her face was washed in the pink light the shield gave off. Her hand hovered carefully in front. The scientist in Peridot was enthralled.

"So, it's true!" Bismuth was walking up, mouth gaping.

"Uh, _duh_. What, you didn't believe me?" Amethyst said, following after the larger woman.

"I mean, it's not that I didn't but, man… It looks like the one Rose used to summon." Bismuth crouched next to Peridot in front of the shield.

"Are you guys Gems too?" Steven released the light construct. When he was tired, it was harder to use his powers.

Bismuth gave Peridot a knowing glance, and the technician nodded while adjusting her glasses. The blacksmith pointed to her back, and Steven climbed on; whenever he visited, he always got a piggy-back ride from the large muscular woman.

"To answer your question: yes. We are all Gems, and we all worked with the Authority at one point or another. Me, Bismuth and Lapis." Peridot said, her green eyes softly glowed in the darkness behind her glasses. She looked back at the old oak and reached out with her right hand. Peridot's metal cane was summoned from several feet away into the technicians waiting hand.

"Whoa…" Steven was amazed.

"I should probably get you cleaned up and put to bed little man." Amethyst walked closer to him and Bismuth.

"You will, of course, reside in your usual spot on the sleeper sofa in my office." Peridot began to amble back to the farmhouse.

"Deep cut, you can crash on my couch in the workshop loft if you like." Bismuth purposely bounced a couple times, eliciting a chuckle from the 12 year-old on her back.

"That sounds awesome, Bis." Amethyst looked exhausted.

"Amethyst?"

"Steve-O."

"What about the others in the barn?" Steven was careful how he phrased the question, he could feel the tension in Bismuth.

"Let'm do their thing, little man, we'd just get in the way."

Steven squeezed Bismuth's neck, and she gave him a quick squeeze back on the legs. Hopefully, things would be better tomorrow. (Hopefully, Blue would be better tomorrow.)  
**… … … … … … … … …**

Yellow Diamond had been pacing up and down the hall. White Pearl had left some time ago. But Garnet stayed the entire time; they had spoken about what happened. There was evidence, an opportunity to put things right. A fragile truce made for the time being.

So many questions remained, though, and Garnet wasn't willing to speak of them at the moment. The boy, her daughter…

"That's it. That's the best I can do, I'm not an MD." Lapis Lazuli said as she walked out of the back exam room.

"Will she be alright?" The general asked.

"No, she needs to be admitted to a hospital. Not a _veterinarian clinic_. The reason why she was hemorrhaging so much was because Blue Diamond was shot three times. Not two as she thought." The vet had brought out an orange biohazard bag with her, no doubt filled with medical waste from the ad hoc surgery.

"By the way, hollow-tipped armor-piercing bullets? Isn't it illegal to have that kind of ammunition for rifles?" Lapis walked up to the Diamond and held out the offending object. The general took the warped piece of metal and regarded it coolly.

"Performing a medical procedure on a person without a license, isn't _that_ illegal?" Yellow had very little patience left, but the situation was dire.

"It tore her up pretty bad internally. I stitched up what I could and removed the bullet, but there's probably additional shrapnel. Looked at Blue Diamond's shoulder, that was a clean shot. Sutured that up; she needs to have her arm in a sling. She's stable for now."

Garnet, who had been sitting crossed-legged on the floor, now got up. "That's better than before. We should call it a night."

"May I stay with her?" Yellow's voice was hoarse, the situation was entirely out of her control, and she hated every second of it.

"Yeah, she's resting. I've got an IV of fluids going. I'll come back in…" Lapis stopped and looked at her watch in surprise; it was early. "I guess in a couple hours to move her. I can't have a senior member of the Authority hanging out in the back exam room of my vet clinic."

The vet turned to leave, and Yellow grabbed her arm, "Thank you."

"We're not friends, I didn't do this for _you_." The fine line in the sand was still there.

"No, we're not." Yellow let go and watched as Lapis took a step back. "That fact doesn't diminish your actions, nor my appreciation."

Garnet raised an eyebrow and nodded, "We'll be back later." The pair left Yellow alone in the dark, with Blue.

The general stepped into the room carefully, she didn't want to disturb her wife. She lay on a stark steel table with a rough wool blanket covering her with another one folded up underneath her head. The only light on in the room was a small florescent one that hung over the sink.

Yellow had to remind herself this was a vet, a place for animals. Not a medical hospital. She peeled off her black leather gloves while walking to the side of the table. Her hand found its way into Blue's right hand. Arctic eyes slid open slowly as soft fingers squeezed Yellow's.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you, this is _my_ fault." The general was in tears, what had she done? The damage might be irreparable.

"Yellow, no…" Blue murmured, she pulled on Yellow's arm, and the general complied and bent closer.

"I attacked first, this is not your fault." Linna nuzzled her cheek and tenderly kissed Melena.

"I should have stopped, I put the boy in danger!"

"Melena, stop." Linna pulled away and looked into the general's eyes. "It's over now, we have to find a way to move forward. His name is Steven, by the way, he prefers it over 'boy.'"

Melena caressed her wife's long silvery locks. After everything that happened at the hotel, she was lucky this woman was even speaking to her. "You're very attached to him."

"Very… There's reason to be." Linna began stroking the back of Melena's hand with her thumb.

"We can talk later, get some rest." Melena reached behind her without letting Linna's hand go and pulled a nearby stool over and sat down. She settled in, resting her arms on the steel exam table.

"You should talk to Steven, he said he wanted to meet you." Heavy pain medicine began dragging Linna's conscious mind away.

"Oh _really_? I wonder why?" Melena said acerbically.

"He's a good lad, and none of this is his fault. He has as many questions as we do, more even." Linna's eyes closed, and Melena listened as her wife's breathing became even and slow.

The statement struck Melena in the heart. All this bad blood and history and the boy (Steven) had zero culpability in the entire affair. It wasn't fair at all.

As far as Yellow was concerned, she had a new mission. Stop Aquamarine; she was a rogue agent in the general's mind. Once that was taken care of, then everyone could take a breath and start figuring things out. The Crystal Gems, Steven, everyone.

Yellow laid her head down on her arms and allowed herself to drift away. There was a reasonable path forward, and she would see it to the end.


	15. Rest and Realization

**Sorry for the hiatus on this fic. First I was traveling for work again, I actually have a hard time writing while traveling. ( In general, I'm just uncomfortable in a hotel room.) Then I was having a hard time with this chapter. As a general rule, I don't write chapters longer than 3500 words, but this one is probably the longest I've written. Hopefully, it's not too long... At any rate, we're in the home stretch. Thanks to all the folks reading this story!**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... **

Steven woke slowly and stretched. The mattress on the sleeper sofa was lumpy but comfortable. The 12-year-old would usually stay over for Thanksgiving. This was his spot; Steven was the only one Peridot trusted to be alone in her office other than Lapis.

It sounded weird, but he was actually excited about getting dressed in a set of his _own_ clothes. Because he would sometimes get messy while visiting (it was a farm after all), Pearl made sure that there was a clean change around.

"Hey, you!" Lapis Lazuli poked her head through the old wooden door.

"Morning Lapis!" Steven smiled; he imagined if he had a sister, she would be like Lapis. She acted aloof and cold sometimes but always took time out of her day to spend with Steven. The veterinarian stepped in and partially shut the door behind her. She was already dressed in scrubs and had a small metal tray with medical supplies.

"I wanted to check on you, make sure you were alright. We heard about your accident in front of the car wash. So, let's see those stitches!" Steven swung his feet over the side of the bed and felt the mattress depress as the older woman sat next to him.

"Steven, these can come out… It's been, what? A week?" Lapis grabbed the old wooden office chair and pointed to the seat, directing Steven to sit in it.

"Okay, rest your head on the back of this chair and don't turn or move, got it?" The sound of plastic packaging being opened and latex gloves snapping into place could be heard. The strong smell of rubbing alcohol permeated the room.

"No prob, Bob!" Lapis chuckled at the boy.

"Is it weird that the stitches can come out already?" Steven asked, curiously.

"Kind of. You're probably just a fast healer. Okay, this may sting a tiny little bit, and it may bleed a little bit too. But you won't have to worry about it anymore when we're done.

Remember, _don't move_." Steven watched Lapis put a small LED headlamp on. She then picked up a pair of pincers and a sharp-looking surgical knife from the tiny nightstand. The office wastebasket had been moved close by as well.

"Lapis, is Steven up?" Peridot yelled from the bedroom across the hallway.

"He is _now_, along with everyone else in the house." The vet replied, shaking her head. Steven laughed.

"Ewww! Why are you doing this in my office!?" Peridot entered and made a face at the situation.

"Because I needed a little privacy and _quiet_." Lapis quipped back.

Peridot plopped into a worn leather chair in the corner and crossed her arms over an alien t-shirt seemingly in deep thought. "That's how you figured out how to use your powers, isn't it? The car was going to hit you, and you put up the barrier on instinct…"

"Uh, yeah, that's about the only part I remember. It wasn't a good night." Steven began to shift but stopped when Lapis gave him a warning look.

"Almost done…"

"You probably want to see it too." The boy said tiredly to Lapis, letting out a frustrated breath.

"There, all done!" The vet said, placing a piece of gauze to Steven's head. "Hold that right there for me, while I take care of this stuff." She began setting her instruments back on the metal tray.

"By the way, you don't have to show me your shield. It sounds like everyone has been asking, and that gets old." Lapis gently rubbed some antibiotic ointment on the almost healed gash above Steven's eyebrow and then carefully placed a large band-aid on it. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Steven. I get you."

Steven jumped down from the chair and put his hands on Lapis' knees, "What are your powers? I mean, if you want to show me."

"This is excellent! We can educate Steven on all Gem abilities!" Peridot got up quickly and handed Lapis a glass of water from the nearby desk.

"It's not that big of a deal." The blue-haired woman said.

"What do you mean? It's one of the most powerful abilities!" Peridot couldn't help herself.

Lapis Lazuli took the glass of water and sighed. She opened her right hand, and the water in the glass flowed out and levitated in midair. She then proceeded to make the shape of a sphere, then a cube, then a star.

"Lapis, that's so cool!" Steven reached out and touched the "star" with his finger. As soon as he made contact, the water was released back into the glass. The boy jumped back with a start, and both Lapis and Peridot laughed.

"Hydrokinesis is the official name, Steven," Peridot said with a sniff.

"_Water powers_," Lapis said, getting up, giving Steven a wink (she knew it would irritate Peridot). She set the glass down and took her medical gear. "I'm going back to the clinic if you need me, Steven."

"_Nyeh_!" The computer technician shook her head and began to fold up the blankets in preparation for putting the sleeper sofa away.

"What's everyone up to?" Steven said as he helped to straighten up.

"Ah, Pearl and Garnet are still sleeping in the guest room. Amethyst is, of course, out with Bismuth at her workshop, and the Diamonds have been relocated to the basement. Pumpkin is eating breakfast in the kitchen." The pair carefully folded the mattress into the couch and started putting the cushions back.

Peridot stood inspecting the couch as Steven put the last cushion in place, "I'd never thought I'd ever say that. The Diamonds are in my basement."

"They're just people, Peri. There's so much hate for them." The boy just had a hard time understanding, and nobody was willing to share why there was so much hate.

"Hmmm, I don't have anything personal against them, just some general disagreements on their operating policies. But Garnet, Pearl, and Lapis; they have quite the grudge."

"What about Bismuth? She was pretty mad last night." Steven returned the wastebasket and desk chair to their original places.

"Bismuth… Bismuth has a whole different angle. Her issues aren't entirely the Authority's fault." The technician shifted uncomfortably. "But, ah, she should tell you that story. If she wishes to share, that is." Peridot had a contrite look on her face, she knew it wasn't the answer Steven was looking for.

"At any rate, I have to do some admin work on the server in the clinic. Lapis placed your clothes in the bathroom, and there's plenty of cereal and milk in the kitchen." Peridot patted Steven on the shoulder and began to amble out the door.

"Oh, I'll find you later. Garnet said there was something important on your phone? She wanted me to make multiple copies of something you recorded…"

"Yeah, I know what she means." Steven could see that Peridot wanted more details, but she didn't press the issue. She gave him a stiff nod and half a smile as she ambled away.  
… … … … … … … … …

Steven cleaned up the kitchen table and put the milk away. Three bowls of cereal, he didn't realize how hungry he was. Pumpkin watched intently from her basket as the boy closed the refrigerator. Everyone was either exhausted or busy, so, his partner in crime for today was this little orange dog. He plopped down on the floor next to the corgi and gave her a hug, Pumpkin was happy to lick his face.

The dog's head snapped towards the basement door as the boy got up; muffled voices could be heard below. Pumpkin gave a soft "woof," and Steven quickly grabbed her snout. (He didn't want her to wake the entire house.)

Steven thought for a moment; should he go down? He grabbed the door handle hesitantly. They may need something. (That and Steven was anxious to see how Blue was doing.) He quietly pulled the door open and slipped downstairs.

"And what happens if you're caught? Aquamarine may not have seen you with us, but she's no fool. I'd be surprised if she _didn't_ think you were working with us." Steven heard Blue's familiar lilting accent, it was hoarse, but it had regained its presence.

"You can't expect to go on like this! You could have died last night! I can take the evidence and show it to White, and end this chase right now." The partially finished basement was dim, sunlight cutting through sheer curtains on the windows. Steven could make out the rigid silhouette of Yellow Diamond.

The austere woman was pacing in front of a small den area. Blue lay on a large overstuffed plaid couch. She was sporting a borrowed bathrobe and had a couple of fleece blankets covering her. An IV and stand with clear fluid was attached to her right hand, eyes emitting a dim cerulean glow.

"Aquamarine will apprehend you and end your life! I'm certain of it at this point. You'll disappear and… And that will be the end of that." The Irish woman looked away after saying the statement.

Yellow went to her side, she wasn't in her armor anymore. Steven noted it was set off to the side, organized around a dusty bookshelf. She had on black tactical pants, boots and had stripped down to a white tank top. Her deep golden-colored hair wasn't as spiky as the day before; it was parted on its side with a couple of stray locks resting on her brow.

Blue happened to look in the direction of the stairs and spotted Steven sitting on them, his hands tightened on the wooden banister. Her features instantly softened, and a smile grew at the corners of her mouth.

"How are you, love?" She winked, and the boy blushed. Yellow turned her head in his direction, golden-colored eyes burning bright in the shadowy basement.

"I-I'm fine. Uh, sorry, I heard you guys down here and wondered if you needed anything?" He swallowed thickly, he felt terrible about eavesdropping for as long as he did.

Yellow stood and walked over to where Steven was sitting. For a tense second, he thought he was going to get yelled at, but Yellow's expression softened as she regarded the boy. "We're alright for now. Why don't you come down and speak to us for a while? If you're not busy, that is..."

Steven climbed down the rest of the stairs and smiled as Blue reached out with her good arm and beckoned him over to her. When he reached her side, she wrapped her arm around his waist and held him close.

"Did you get some rest? You look like you did," She softly murmured into his ear.

"I'm good, really." His hand hovered over Blue's left arm that was now in a makeshift sling. She only shook her head as she squeezed tighter. Steven laughed and rested his hands on the arm around his waist as he half sat on the edge of the couch. (Careful not to disturb the IV.)

The other woman sat down on an ottoman close by Steven and Blue. Judging by the blanket and pillow on the nearby armchair, Yellow more than likely spent the night there. She rested her elbows on her knees and cocked an eyebrow.

"Um, hi. I'm Steven Universe." The 12-year-old held out a pudgy hand somewhat uncertainly.

"I'm Melena or Yellow. Whichever you prefer." The blonde took his hand in hers. It was strong and warm and had callouses from years of being a soldier. She was muscular but not bulky like Bismuth and Garnet. There were a few scars and a USMC tattoo on her right shoulder, and she had sharp amber eyes that viewed Steven with an intense curiosity over high cheekbones.

"What's been going on topside, love?" Blue gently squeezed him again as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Everyone is just tired, I think we're just catching our breath for right now. So far, the plan is to make copies of the video on my phone. That's about it, though." Steven felt rather than heard Blue's hum of agreement.

"It's a good idea, we can't risk losing that evidence." The Irish woman leaned back on her pillow without letting the boy go.

"I need to see this video, it's the proof you're talking about, right?" Yellow's eyebrows canted up as she sat up and placed her hands on her knees.

"Yes. The office we were in at the detention facility? Steven was smart enough to take out his phone and capture Aquamarine's _speech_. Do you have your phone?" Blue asked Steven while gently patting his side.

The boy nodded and hummed confidently as he pulled the phone from his back pocket. He flipped through a couple of screens until he found what he was looking for and handed the device to Yellow. The general gently took it from him and began watching.

"_Oh_, I knew it! That little bit-" Blue cleared her throat and gave Yellow a hard look. The austere woman closed her mouth with a snap.

"The other night, I would have given my right arm to know what was going on in that office," The general said through grit teeth. Steven leaned back a little as Yellow watched the video a couple more times. She seemed satisfied after the third playback and ended the video. The blonde hit the "home" button and cocked an eyebrow.

"It seems like someone has been desperately trying to get a hold of you, young man." Yellow's expression softened as she held out Steven's phone.

The boy took it, and his face crumpled, dozens of missed calls, voicemails, and texts were on the phone. Most of them were from his father, but quite a few were from Connie. Some calls were from Bismuth and Lapis before he arrived at the farm. There were a few from Sadie Miller, Sour Cream and Jenny. (Even Lars sent him a couple of texts.) Those were his friends, his family, they were worried, and Steven couldn't answer back. He sighed and scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I can't text them back or make any calls. Pearl said we could be tracked, so I have to keep my phone on airplane mode most of the time. I know dad's worried…" The 12 year-old turned the phone off and then shoved it into his pocket somewhat roughly. This was the farthest and longest time he'd been away from his father ever. He missed him so much, he was probably a mess. (Steven was a mess.)

"Who is your father, Steven?" Yellow asked very delicately. The soft tone seemed odd coming from this stiff militant woman.

"Oh, uh, my dad is Greg Universe and…" The boy looked uncertainly at Blue, and she cleared her throat before speaking.

"I haven't had this discussion yet with Yellow, she's trying to put all the pieces together." Another squeeze from around the waist.

"You don't have to say anything else if you don't want, young man. I can finish this conversation with Blue later." Yellow sat up again, holding out her hand in a halting motion. She was letting Steven off the hook.

"_Jeez_, it's so hard to talk about! It's not easy, no matter who tells you. I just found out myself, and I'm really confused." Steven stood and put his hand on the general's knee and gave a sad smile, "I don't mind telling you if you don't mind hearing it from me."

The expression on Yellow's face was one of surprise. Her eyebrows raised, she swallowed hard and placed her hand on Steven's. "I'm listening, young man."

There were so many loose ends, the 12-year-old could scarcely begin to put things straight. His mother had complicated the situation, and people were hurt. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were hurt. Not intentionally, but it happened.

He didn't know exactly what went on between Yellow, Blue, and his mother, but they didn't deserve this. She made them think she was dead. (How horrible was that!) It had been weighing on the boy's mind heavily, on top of _everything_ else.

"I'll start at the beginning because I've been having a tough time over the past few days. My dad is Greg Universe, and my mom is Rose Quartz. She died giving birth to me, there were some complications…"  
… … … … … … … … …

"And I guess my mom was actually Carissa Diamant. That's everything I know." The boy had since sat back down on the couch. Blue had adjusted herself so that Steven was leaning on her legs. He was a very articulate and gentle little boy.

That fact didn't stop Yellow from feeling sick, though. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, but somehow the news of her daughter nauseated her. She was responsible for driving her little girl away. She had always thought that adversaries of the Authority had taken her daughter. Ripped her away, and Pearl was culpable.

It was a partial truth. Now all that was left of her daughter was this little boy, a whole lot of questions and guilt… And the circumstances that Aquamarine was trying to take advantage of.

Yellow took a deep breath in and raked a hand through her hair. It was a lot to digest, process, and come to terms with. She felt a warm hand on her knee, Blue had reached out to her, tears in her eyes. The general took her hand and squeezed. There were finally answers, definitely not what Yellow was expecting, but maybe now the pair of them could finally start going forward again… They had to get through the current situation, though.

"Thank you for telling me, I-" Thank you seemed so woefully inadequate. Steven had shined a light on a heavy topic, and he did it with compassion and grace. And all that came from her _grandson_. (Carissa had a son! Melena and Linna were grandmothers!)

The revelation hit Yellow like a bolt; she sat up and looked at Steven. The boy fidgeted under her gaze, he tugged absentmindedly at the bottom of his shirt. They weren't related biologically, Blue was the one that carried Carissa to term, but Yellow raised her daughter from birth. They were family…

Just then, the door to the basement opened and bright sunlight cascaded down the steps. An orange corgi clattered down with two other people.

"Hey Steve-O, you got a minute little man?" The one they called Amethyst cautiously walked down the stairs with the veterinarian in tow.

"Amethyst!" Steven jumped up and ran to his guardian.

"How's it going, dude?" The stout woman said, giving him a rough hug.

Lapis Lazuli walked over to Blue and began checking her vitals. "Well, you're doing better than last night. Are you in pain?"

"It's fine, I'm fine. I'm tired of being under the influence of pain meds."

"If you're in pain, you should take something." Yellow huffed, the corgi growled at her response, and the general raised a brow at the dog.

"Well, I can get you some aspirin then and another shot of antibiotics. You have a raging infection." Lapis said, walking back over to the end of the stairs.

"What'd you need, Amethyst?" Steven asked the stout woman, she hadn't released him from her hug.

"This message is for all of you actually, meeting tonight at the fire pit behind the barn at eight. Garnet's got a plan, she said we're done running." The woman finally let go of Steven and clapped him on the back.

"What is her plan?" Yellow's tone was low, she didn't entirely trust the Crystal Gems.

"Don't know homegirl, she didn't tell me. We'll have to find out tonight." The vet and Amethyst both began to walk upstairs. "Steve-O, I'll be out at Bismuth's if you need me."

Yellow watched as the corgi trotted over to Steven. He knelt to give the dog a pat on the side and looked at both her and Blue. "Well, that's something, isn't it?"  
… … … … … … … … …

Steven, to his credit, had stayed in the basement with Yellow and Blue most the day (leaving briefly only at the request of Peridot to create copies of the video on his phone). Anything the pair needed, he went and fetched. The Irish woman was grateful, the truce that was made was fragile. Keeping a low profile would help soothe any old grudges that dared to flare up.

The trio passed the time by listening to a weather radio and playing old games found in a nearby closet. Steven kept the mood light, he actually made Blue laugh by acting like a goofball while playing a game of Jenga with Yellow. The 12-year-old won (of course), and the general complained that the floor of the basement was uneven.

Blue watched fondly as Melena groused, and Steven laughed. A dark thought passed through her mind then; what if this was the only time they would ever have _together_ with their grandson? No, there would be more time, there had to be… right?

When it was finally time to head to the meeting, Steven knowingly went upstairs so that Yellow could help Blue get dressed. Her blood-soaked clothes had been washed and dried. The trio then gingerly made their way to the fire pit. Yellow walked with Blue, a strong arm around her waist, and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. (It was warm out, but infection was burning through her body giving her the chills.)

Steven walked just a couple of feet in front of the pair. The heavy air smelled of cut grass and earth, Blue smiled when the boy kicked up some fireflies from a tuft of tall weeds. He stopped to catch one then let it go with a gentle smile and stars in his eyes. Blue looked up at her wife, who just shook her head, she wasn't smiling, but her expression was soft, vulnerable even.

Quietly, so the boy couldn't hear she whispered into Yellow's ear, "I want Steven to be a part of our lives when this is over, Melena. I don't think my heart could take him not being around, not knowing who his mother was. But I don't want to take him from his family either." Blue buried her face in Yellow's neck.

"I-I'm so scared, I don't know how we can make all of this work."

"Shhhh, one battle at a time, Linna. We have to focus on the present, we'll work out the details later." A tender kiss was placed on Blue's forehead.

"There's the fire, guys!" Steven exclaimed and ran over to the group that had already gathered. A ways behind the barn was a circular patch of earth half enclosed by a small copse of trees. All of the Crystal Gems were there waiting, the fire making their shadows dance on the ground. Blue and Yellow caught up with Steven. (Yellow made sure that Blue was settled on a wooden bench before sitting herself.)

"Alright, let's get this going then." Garnet finally said, standing up. She gave Steven a pat on the head as she passed by him. He was sitting next to Pearl on a blanket, her lanky arms resting around his shoulders.

"This chase has to end, we can't keep running. We've got multiple copies of Steven's video. Later this evening, we're going to head towards DC and turn ourselves into Authority HQ." Chatter rose amongst the group.

"No way, really? Just like that? You're going to turn yourselves in? C'mon Garnet, you've gotten soft! When we rolled together, you would have never turned yourself in." Bismuth was beside herself in disbelief.

"When I rolled with you, we didn't have Steven yet, and Rose was still alive. I have to think of him now, and Greg. I have to think about Lapis and Peridot, everyone here. Even the Diamonds'." The woman looked at every single person gathered around the fire.

"Amethyst, Pearl, and I talked about the situation today. The plan is the same, there are just a few minor tweaks; we're going to turn ourselves in. We go directly to HQ and circumvent Aquamarine. Yellow Diamond, you'll have to take us in."

Blue watched as her wife nodded slowly, "I'll do it. I can get the evidence directly to White, and she'll stop everything."

"Steven, you're going to have to stay here on the farm while we do this." The black woman turned to Steven and kneeled in front of him.

Blue's heart clenched when she saw the boy's face crumple. "But what if you get in trouble? I can help!"

"I know you can, and you have. We couldn't have gotten this far without you. But this is too dangerous. If things go sideways, you have a better chance of getting away." Pearl wrapped her arms tightly around Steven as tears rolled down his face.

Monochromatic eyes then turned to Blue, "You'll have to stay behind to colonel, your injuries make you a liability."

"I understand." Blue reached for Yellow's hand and squeezed.

"Lapis, Peridot," Garnet walked over to the muscular woman in overalls. "Bismuth, I'm asking a lot. Look after things for us."

Bismuth's jaw clenched as she stared at Garnet, "I don't like this, but I got your back Garnet."

"We're heading out in a couple of hours, everyone make sure they're ready to go." Garnet turned towards the farmhouse and paused when she got to Blue.

"I know I don't have to ask, but can you look out for him? Make sure he gets back to his dad if something happens?"

An understanding passed between the two women in that instance, the leader of the Crystal Gems was _trusting_ Blue with a sacred duty. "Of course, you have my word."

The woman nodded and continued on towards the house. Amethyst and Pearl comforted Steven while Bismuth spoke animatedly with Peridot and Lapis.

Blue reached around with her free arm and held Yellow close for a long moment, her voice muffled in the general's shoulder. "I'm surprised she hasn't found us yet. I'm sure Aquamarine is combing the area, it's going to make it difficult to slip away."

"It's a very rural area, but you're right, getting up to DC is going to be difficult. I'm certain that's why we're leaving tonight to throw our pursuers." Yellow was uncertain, it was unsettling to hear.

"Be _careful_, Melena, I love you." Yellow simply tightened her embrace.


	16. Triggered

There was a cellar next to the barn, the doors were reinforced with steel, and the stairwell was alarmed. The keys were kept in the farmhouse in a key box, which required another key to obtain access.

Peridot held her lamp up as Bismuth descended into the darkness. The cellar was a small armory with multiple guns, ammunition, and supplies. A workbench for gun customization and ammunition fabrication. Very few people knew that Lapis' unassuming veterinarian clinic had a better-stocked armory than the local sheriff's department.

"All good, tiny." The blacksmith yelled up from the room below, Peridot nodded and motioned for the Crystal Gems and Yellow Diamond to follow. The technician had placed a hell of a security system at the entrance; if anyone broke in and tampered with the alarm, it would release 50,000 volts of electricity. It wouldn't kill necessarily, but it would undoubtedly incapacitate.

The technician clambered down after the group, her cane banging ahead of her. She walked over to where Bismuth was struggling with a mesh locker. "Take what you need, there's plenty to go around. Kevlar vests are over on the other wall." The tech stepped in front of the blacksmith and smoothly opened the padlock she was struggling with.

"I could've done that." Bismuth muttered as Peridot slid the mesh door open.

The tech then went over to a rather involved looking computer system in the far corner. Servers and switches hummed smoothly as Peridot powered on the workstation. It was the core of an extensive network that the Crystal Gems ran. Information and reports all filtered in through this hub, the Gems had informants and operatives across the east coast.

Peridot set her cane aside and carefully sat down. She then pulled out a thumb drive from her pocket containing the video evidence and plugged it in. The goal was to save and distribute the information in more than just one place.

The tech felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand as Yellow Diamond stepped up behind her. Golden eyes easily seen in the reflection of her monitor. "This is quite the nerve center you have here."

"It's paramount to our operations, the Crystal Gems are nothing if not efficient." Peridot turned to face her former boss. It had been a long time since she'd seen the woman, she wondered vaguely if she even remembered the work Peridot did.

"You always were thorough, you were one of my best Peridots. I'm… Sorry, the situation turned out the way it did. You could have stayed, there would have been a place for you." The general's expression was surprisingly soft, and Peridot never _expected_ to hear an apology from the woman. She couldn't quite place the feeling. Yellow Diamond not only remembered Peridot clearly, but she was _sorry_.

It was an operation gone wrong in the middle east. Peridot was just doing her work as a communications engineer and technician. She was in charge of the network and all the spy tech the agents used in the field. Then their base was overrun, there was some poor intel, the wrong people were trusted.

In a final effort to destroy the servers (so the information didn't fall into the hands of the enemy), Peridot stayed behind with a few select officers. The base ended up getting mortared, and the tech lost half her leg. She never quite got over it, and she felt the Authority should have been more diligent. (Yellow Diamond should have been more thorough.) It wasn't hatred Peridot felt precise, but it was a disappointment.

"Th-thank you, but I found my place here." The tech looked Yellow Diamond straight in the eye. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have had the confidence to do that. But now she was so much more than she was before.

The general didn't back down from the stare, she simply nodded. It seemed that she understood what was lost. What Peridot sacrificed for "the greater good."

"Peri, I thought about what you said." Garnet walked over and leaned against a concrete wall.

"We only upload the video to social media sites as a last resort." The tennis instructor was sporting a Kevlar vest and had a Sig Sauer 9mm strapped to her leg.

"What's this about uploading to social media sites?" The general stood full height, her own personal armor made her look absolutely menacing.

"As an absolute last resort, if everything goes wrong, we upload the video to every social media site we can. We flood the internet with this evidence." The leader of the Crystal Gems said, removing her sunglasses.

"I'm not sure I agree with that. It will paint the Authority in a bad light, it's a PR nightmare!" The general said, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, is that right, _Diamond_? You think we're going to stop just because you disagree?" The room was instantly tense, Bismuth was looking for an excuse to start a fight. "Know what tiny? I think we should leak that data anyways. It's worked for us in the past, like when _Rose_ leaked all those classified documents? You know, the ones about how White approved the torture for prisoners being questioned?"

"Bismuth, that's enough," Garnet said, trying to diffuse the situation, but the blacksmith pressed on.

Bismuth walked up and got in Yellow Diamond's face, the general's eyes burned with barely checked fury. "Documents that your _own daughter_ leaked to the press. How does that make you feel, _general_?"

"_You_!" It was all too much. Peridot watched in horror as Yellow Diamond grabbed Bismuth by her overalls and slammed her against the far concrete wall with inhuman speed.

Garnet and Pearl moved to stop the brawl, but they were thrown back by an electrical pulse that Yellow released. She didn't even pause in her fight with Bismuth.

Peridot had to end this, there was too much at stake. Amethyst was making to jump in when the tech motioned for her to wait. While reaching out with the other hand, the mesh door that secured all the weapons in the cellar was suddenly wrenched from its housing and then wrapped itself around Yellow Diamond. It effectively pinned the general's arms to her sides. It wouldn't hold her forever, but that wasn't the point.

"Good job Peri!" Bismuth jumped on Yellow, trying to further her assault.

"Bismuth, stop!" Peridot yelled, but it was clear that wouldn't happen. The tech then nodded to Amethyst, who then jumped over and grabbed the blacksmith by the waist and tore her away from Yellow Diamond.

"Dammit, why'd you-" The large woman was struggling against Amethyst.

"Bismuth, that is _enough_!" Everyone in the room was now looking at Peridot.

"Look at how far you've come! You were in federal prison because you got out of hand on one of Rose's missions!" The tech leaned heavily on her cane while she pinched the bridge of her nose underneath her glasses.

"You're going to throw all of your hard work away because you still have a grudge!? Your art, your studio, and your _family_?" She looked over as Garnet brushed herself off. Pearl had actually gone over to see if Yellow was alright. (The general had a bloody nose and a murderous look, but she seemed okay.)

"Granted, me, Lapis and Pumpkin makes for an unusual family. But we do love you, don't throw it away over your anger!" Peridot sniffed and looked away, her emotions getting the better of her for the moment.

"Aw, tiny, I-" The blacksmith reached out. However, Peridot had already reverted to the logical technician and engineer that she was, and stepped out of reach.

"Keep your temper in check, we're Crystal Gems, and we have a job to do. By the way, we're not going to be cavalier about uploading the video. It'll showcase Steven's powers all over the internet, he doesn't need that, he's just a kid." Peridot turned and released Yellow Diamond from her metal bindings, and Pearl helped the Authority officer up.

"I'm going to… Go and see that the Volkswagen is gassed up and ready." Deflated, Bismuth walked up the stairs and out of the cellar bunker.

"Good work." Garnet placed a steady hand on Peridot's shoulder.

"She's come too far to throw her life away now. Anyways, we have to get you ready to run into DC." The technician went back to her computer and continued with her work.  
… … … … … … … … …

This was the worst, this was the "bad time." It's a phrase that is colloquially used in Authority culture to describe a point in an operation where everything was uncertain. The situation could resolve in any number of ways; good, bad, very bad. And there was just time spent waiting, it was a _bad time_.

Yellow was going with the Crystal Gems into DC to turn themselves in straightaway. But they had to make the two-hour drive while avoiding Aquamarine's forces, that's not mentioning the local law enforcement that may or may not be assisting. If Blue was in Aquamarine's shoes, the first thing she would have done was to get the local sheriffs' department and state troopers involved. (And Aquamarine had worked with Blue Diamond on multiple operations…)

Blue stood in the bathroom of the farmhouse and splashed tepid water on her face. She felt horrible, and not all of it was because of her injuries. She paused as she took a deep breath in, a cool breeze wafted in through the bathroom window. Crickets chirped cheerfully in the warm night air.

She flipped off the light and limped out into the front living area. Her expression softened when she saw Steven. He was sleeping on the couch with an empty cookie-cat wrapper clutched in his hand, _Crying Breakfast Friends! _playing on the television. (Cartoon Network had an end of summer marathon running, Blue was pleased that it cheered the boy up somewhat.)

Pumpkin was lying across his legs. She lifted her head up at Blue, the tags on her collar rattling gently, and then settled back down in apparent disinterest.

The 12-year-old was very upset about being left behind but calmed down after a while. Especially after Blue said, she needed his help, which wasn't a lie. With her arm in a sling, it was proving more challenging to get around than she had first thought.

"He's totally out of it." A pragmatic voice said, startling Blue.

"It's been a tough week. The poor lad has been through a lot." The veterinarian nodded at the colonel.

"How are you feeling?" Lapis pulled a chair out next to the kitchen table in an invitation to sit down.

"I've been better, but things could be worse. Your help is appreciated, you have my thanks."

The younger woman placed a syringe on the kitchen table and then stepped over to the sink to wash her hands. "I want to make something very clear to you. I'm helping you because Garnet asked me to. And I'm helping because Steven sees something in you, he likes you. There's also that whole _'grandmother thing'_ that I'm still trying to wrap my head around."

"He's a good judge of character, but I don't give my trust as easily, you have to earn that. So, listen up," Lapis turned as she dried her hands on a paper towel, eyes glowing a cobalt blue.

"If you ever do anything to hurt Steven? _I will hunt you down_. To the ends of the Earth if I have to. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear," Blue said, her voice an icy edge.

"Okay, now that we got that out of the way, antibiotics. You have a _hella_ infection, think you can take another shot?" The vet pulled a pair of rubber gloves from a nearby drawer.

"In the arm, please, I'd still like to have the ability to sit down." She pursed her lips as Lapis Lazuli gave her a wry smile.

"Hey!" Bismuth burst in through the screen door and quickly turned off the outside light. "There's headlights coming from the west, a lot of them!"

Lapis smacked the switch for the kitchen light off, the only light in the house was from the television in the living room. The vet slipped into the mudroom and came out a moment later with a couple of Glock 9mm handguns. She handed one to Blue, who, in turn, turned off the safety and tucked the weapon into the waistband of her pants.

"Man, I could be overreacting…" Bismuth said, but when Blue looked out the window, she saw several pairs of headlights lining the dark country road.

"Nope, you're not overreacting." Lapis quipped and began texting Peridot.

The colonel quickly padded over to Steven, "Steven, love, you need to wake up."

She placed a gentle hand on his stomach as the boy took a deep breath in and looked around confusedly. "Heya Blue, watcha need?"

"Listen carefully, we may have been found. I want you to pay attention to everything I tell you, and stay close, understand?" There was no point in sugar-coating it, they were in danger, and Steven deserved the truth. The boy sat up and glanced out the window behind the couch, there was a sharp intake of breath.

"O-okay Blue got it." She nodded at the boy as she undid the sling holding her left arm. She then took Steven's hand, lacing her fingers with his.

The pair crept back into the kitchen near the basement where Bismuth and Lapis were crouched, Pumpkin clattering behind them.

"Okay, the others know what's up. We're going to try and meet them at the firepit by using the basement exit. We'll figure things out from there." Lapis said, stroking the corgi's head as she whined plaintively.

Bismuth opened the basement door, letting Blue and Steven go first with Lapis and Pumpkin following. The blacksmith then slipped through the door and closed it behind her quietly. The group quickly made their way across the cement floor to the outside exit.

Red and blue police lights strobed through the small windows of the basement, painting everyone in a surreal glow. (So, Aquamarine did get the local police to help…) Pumpkin chuffed at the noise outside, and Lapis quickly wrapped a hand around her snout.

"What you thinking, Lapis?" Even Bismuth's whisper was loud, the woman certainly had a presence. Blue watched as the blacksmith wandered over to some abandoned tools and picked up an old long-handled sledgehammer. She hefted it thoughtfully, waiting for Lapis Lazuli to answer.

"Most of the team breaching the house is going to be going through the front right?" The vet looked at Blue.

"Correct, they'll more than likely post a few sentries at this exit and then rush the house through the front."

"Alright then, we wait for them to break in. That'll be our queue to break out the basement and get rid of the goons standing watch. We'll use the woods as cover and make a beeline for the fire pit. You with me?" Blue honestly couldn't think of a better plan than what the blacksmith had proposed.

"That's as good a plan as any, I'll stay back with Steven." Blue squeezed the boy's hand as she spoke, and he squeezed back.

"Alright then, here we go." Lapis crouched to one side of the door as Bismuth took the other side, hammer at the ready.

Blue crouched a little ways away with Steven and Pumpkin. Footsteps were soon heard, pounding down the cement steps leading to the exit.

"Cover this exit, the SWAT team will go through the main entrance!"

The colonel breathed in then out as her left hand was surrounded in an azure corona. Bismuth clutched at the sledgehammer while Lapis flipped the safety off of her handgun.

Then a crash echoed upstairs.

"Now!" Bismuth boomed. She kicked the door open, smashing into a SWAT officer, the glass panel in the door shattering.

The blacksmith then held the sledgehammer in front of her sideways as she barreled up the steps, Lapis following close behind. The police guarding the back exit was not ready for the group.

The group of Ruby agents placed nearby were, however.

"Rubies!" Lapis screamed as a spotlight from a police car locked on to their position.

Blue watched in horror as three agents began to spout geysers of flame at the group from their hands. Her instinct was to shield Steven, but the boy broke free and ran in front of everyone. A wide magenta-colored hexagonal barrier saving everyone from a fiery demise.  
… … … … … … … … …

This was really putting his powers to the test. He'd just learned that he had these abilities, and now he was using them in all sorts of different ways. In a lot of ways, this was just like when the truck hit Steven back in Beach City. He saw the danger and reacted on instinct.

Blue ran up behind him skidding to a halt on her knees, "You're doing amazing, keep it up!"

"Bismuth, I need some water!" he heard Lapis scream behind him.

The large woman wasted no time, she threw her hammer at a nearby garden faucet. It struck home, causing a substantial amount of water to gush from the broken pipe.

Steven watched as the vet took full control of cool liquid. She twisted and turned as she gathered more water around her (it almost looked like she was dancing). Blue looked at the water Gem and nodded, an unspoken conversation transpiring between them.

"When I say to, drop your shield!"

"Got it!" Steven blinked rapidly as sweat dripped into his eyes. He didn't know how much longer he could maintain the barrier.

"Now!"

Steven let the shield drop, and a wave of heat rolled over him as smoke choked all of his senses. He coughed violently while he moved to get out of the smoke. Finally, when he caught his breath, he looked up. The boy saw Bismuth literally jumps on one agent while Lapis flung another over the top of the farmhouse using a controlled wave of water.

The 12 year-old then turned to the cement steps leading to the basement. The SWAT team that had broken into the house had now caught up with the fight in the yard. But Blue was making short work of them. She had already knocked out three when Steven wasn't looking and watched as she threw one over her shoulder right into another officer. They both went tumbling down the steps hard.

"Freeze!" Dripping wet with glowing red eyes, one Ruby agent managed to get away from Lapis' watery assault. She aimed her gun right at Steven and fired.

The boy cried out as a hot stinging sensation cut into his right arm just above his elbow. He fell down in the grass, clutching at the wound.

"_Ahhh_! God-damn dog!" Pumpkin had sunk her teeth into the agent's ankle and was growling menacingly. The Ruby kicked the corgi, and she let out a piercing yelp.

"Pumpkin!" Steven screamed. The Ruby agent looked back over at the boy and raised her gun again.

Steven began to make his shield, but before he could, a silver-haired guardian stepped between him and danger.

"**_How dare you!? _**"

A bright azure-colored light erupted from Blue Diamond's hands and slammed into the Ruby, throwing her through the windshield of a nearby police car. She then jumped several feet into the air on top of the hood of the car and picked the agent up just to slam her down again and again.

This had to stop. Steven leaped next to Blue.

"No, Blue, I'm okay! Let's get out of here!" He pulled on the tail of her shirt, snapping the older woman out of the haze of rage she'd lost herself in. She let the now comatose agent go and ushered the boy down from the hood of the vehicle.

Blue knelt and cradled Steven's injured arm. "I should not have left you alone!"

"It's alright. I'm not hurt that bad, and you can't protect me from everything." He reached out and brushed a tear away from the Irish woman's cheek with his left hand.

Blue placed her hand on Steven's, holding it in place, "That's not how this works, love."

"Hey, Steven! What happened?" Bismuth ran up with Lapis in tow.

"He's been shot! It's my fault, I didn't catch the other Ruby agent." Blue said, her voice shaking.

"Let me see." The vet sat down and scrutinized the boy's arm. There was a lot of blood.

"Can you move it?"

"Yeah, it's fine; it just hurts a lot," Steven said, bending and moving his arm with seemingly no problem.

Bismuth pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Lapis. "The bullet grazed you, we'll tie this on your arm kinda tight to stop the bleeding for now."

"Pumpkin!" Steven smacked his forehead with his left hand. "She saved me!"

He ran over to where the tall grass met the mowed lawn with the others following. He heard a whimper and some rustling.

"There you are girl," The blacksmith stepped into the brush and picked up the orange corgi. "Pretty sure her back leg is broke."

"Yeah, we'll have to take care of that. Good girl, Pumpkin!" Despite being injured, the corgi wagged her stumpy tail at Lapis' enthusiastic tone. (Steven could swear the dog looked proud.)

Gunfire grabbed the group's attention, everyone was so caught up in the moment they forgot about the dozen or so other intruders on the farm.

"Damn, we should go and see if the others need help!" Bismuth started running with Pumpkin in her arms.

Steven moved to follow but was stopped by Blue, "Stay close, you _are not_ to leave my side again, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." The boy didn't argue; Blue meant business.

They all made for the barn, carefully sticking to the shadows. Steven fussed with the bottom of his shirt, it had gotten eerily quiet. Bismuth and Lapis had blended into a nearby copse of trees while he and Blue crouched behind a lilac bush, it's perfume heavy in the air.

They had a clear view of the cellar and the clinic attached to the barn. Various law enforcement officers strewn about the area. They were either bound or unconscious. (Steven noted a group of four sheriff deputy's that were wrapped in chicken wire comically trying to wriggle free.)

"Hurry!" Two SWAT officers tore around the corner of the vet clinic. Steven shifted uncertainly as Blue grabbed the back of his shirt, signaling for him to stay put.

The boy looked over at the Irish woman, and she glanced at him, and then to the roof of the barn. There, on top, was Yellow Diamond, electricity coursing around her.

The general leapt down and slammed the ground in front of the two officers knocking them several feet back. The pair struggled and managed to get up, but Pearl was waiting right behind them. She made herself visible and kicked one officer in the groin while cracking another one in the back of the head. The willowy woman then handcuffed the pair of them with their own cuffs making sure to place them stomach down so they couldn't get up.

"Brilliant, that's the last of them. Now the house." Yellow said, marching in the direction of the farmhouse.

"I hope everyone is alright…" Pearl bit her lip and followed Yellow.

"We're good, Pearl!" Steven piped up from his hiding spot. Blue let go of his shirt, and the pair stepped out of the bushes.

"Steven! _Oh_, thank goodness!" The boy ran up to his guardian and hugged her around the waist.

"You're hurt!" She looked at his arm, and Steven shook his head.

"It's fine, Pearl, we-" In the distance, four helicopters were seen combing the nearby farms and more headlights could be seen on the road.

"Backup was called in," Yellow said, looking at the small army heading towards the farm. "We're going to have to act now, there's no more time."


	17. Out of Time

The night seemed unusually long. White had sworn she looked at the clock hours ago, but only 20 minutes had passed. She was sitting in her office at Authority headquarters waiting for… She didn't know what.

The director sighed and locked the screen on her computer. She stepped over to the small bar in the corner and proceeded to make herself a vodka tonic (a double vodka tonic).

Everything was out of control, White hadn't heard anything of substance. The situation reports and status updates were oddly vacant, suspiciously so. Yellow Diamond had dropped out of communication, and Blue Diamond had seemingly defected. (God, if anything happened to those two… She cared, and she should have said as much but… It may be too late now.)

The Crystal Gems had bested White again, she'd lost her perfect touch. When this was all over, she was going to seriously think about retiring. Then Aquamarine could run things?

The director laughed out loud at the prospect. _Oh, what a shit-show this had become_.

The older woman took her drink and went over to the windows in her office. DC was quiet at night, restless, but much slower than during the day. She cracked the window, appreciating the hot, humid air over the cold filtered air that circulated through the building, and took a long drag from her vodka tonic.

When she started out over 80 years ago, it was about _vengeance_. World War II was brutal, to say the least, and even more brutal if you were a minority living in the margins.

White had come far from her humble origins. A transient Romani traveling with her clan in rural Poland. In 1939 the Nazis swept in and destroyed _everything_. Her family, her home, her way of life, all gone.

All she could do was stand by and watch.

The Luftwaffe imprisoned her and did horrific experiments on her and others. The Nazis got more than they bargained for when her latent abilities were finally activated.

When she managed to escape, _Bianca_ joined the Polish resistance for vengeance. She wanted to destroy the Nazis, just like they destroyed her family. The killing didn't make her feel better, and when the war finally ended, the girl didn't know what to do with herself. So, she started hunting war criminals.

Somewhere in between, vengeance became _justice_. Bianca had a purpose again, she seemed to be _made_ for this sort of work. She was _perfect_ for this job. Then the United States came to her and hired her to assist in the Cold War. That was when she became _White Diamond_, it was a handle given to her because she had a perfect record when it concerned missions.

Then when _Gems_ started to emerge, White, along with the US government, created The Authority. White Diamond's purpose was never more evident.

She started a family. Her very own family. She had found Melena in a filthy orphanage in Greece and lifted her up and raised her to be a formidable woman. Then Melena fell in love with Linna. It wasn't orthodox, but White had seen so much death and destruction (too much) that it didn't matter. Love is love.

Melena and Linna were a _perfect_ pair. Together they had Carissa, and White _adored her grandaughter_. Finally, Bianca had filled the hole in her heart that was created so long ago. But it didn't last.

Carissa was an insanely powerful Gem! White had never seen such raw power, she pushed Carissa to join the Authority. But her grandchild was a free spirit, and all White accomplished was pushing her away and then…

Tears welled in the old woman's eyes.

Her family was shattered the day Carissa was presumed dead. They all just broke apart, and White distanced herself from Melena and Linna. Her heart couldn't take it, and now? Now what remained of her family was being crushed further.

And all White Diamond could do was stand by and watch.

"Director Diamant?" A soft knock and a softer voice filtered through the dark office. The silhouette of a thin woman with buns on either side of her head was outlined in the door. White downed her drink in one go and wiped her eyes.

"It's late, Gwen. You should be at home with your father." Gwen was White's faithful assistant. Ever since the incident at the prison occurred, she had remained with White every evening. The director didn't even ask her to.

The job was thankless, and many times sacrifice was required. But Gwen's father was disabled, he had recently suffered from a terrible stroke and relied on Gwen to support him now. White needed her assistant, but she wasn't made of stone. She understood the importance of family.

"Yes, director, I was securing everything for the night when the situation room informed me of this video." The petite woman walked over to White's desk and set her small laptop down.

The older woman joined Gwen as she began playing the video. It was the prison in South Carolina, there was Blue Diamond and Aquamarine and the boy, Steven Universe.

The video ended, and silence covered the room for what seemed like an eternity. "Well, well, well. Yellow Diamond's instincts were spot on, Aquamarine _was_ up to something. How did we obtain this video?"

"It was uploaded to multiple social media sites from an unknown IP address." There was a slight quiver in her voice. The pair had worked together for a long time, Gwen picked right up on White's anger.

"Well, my dear, you should have gone home when you had the chance. This is going to be an all-night affair now." White closed the laptop and handed it to her assistant.

"I'll foot the bill for any extra home care that your father requires, however." White grabbed her ivory blazer from the back of her office chair.

"Thank you, director."

"Task the situation desk with removing this video from any social media sites. Meanwhile, I want an updated status on Aquamarine's activities. Get in contact, she is to speak with me _immediately_."

Gwen cleared her throat and clutched the laptop to her chest in obvious discomfort. "Director? I've already taken the liberty of trying to get in contact with her and her unit. She's not answering."

"Of course, my dear, once a dog has tasted blood, it cannot help itself. I was simply practicing due diligence." She knew Aquamarine wouldn't stop with her prey in her sights.

"Have agent Hessonite assemble a strike squad, I want Aquamarine's current location ASAP." White Diamond proceeded to open her gun safe and pulled out some body armor and a Walther PPK.

"Also, inform Hessonite that I will be accompanying them. Aquamarine is _my_ dog, I'm going to muzzle her personally!" Gwen nodded and ran for the door.

White Diamond would not stand idly by and watch any longer.  
… … … … … … … … …

They were running faster and harder than ever before. The Crystal Gems were now crammed into Lapis Lazuli's old Ford F-250 Superduty. The Volkswagen just wasn't fast enough so, the pickup was offered.

Steven was now sitting in the cab in between Garnet and Blue Diamond. It was so hard leaving Lapis, Bismuth, and Peridot (and Pumpkin) behind, but there just wasn't any time. Bismuth said they were going to lay low in the woods, the neighboring farm had a deer blind that was difficult to find if you didn't know the area. It wasn't a guarantee that they were getting away from the small army that Aquamarine sent, but it was better than staying at the farm.

There was a knock at the back window, and Steven reached up and undid the latch. He winced, he overstretched his right arm. "Steve-O, you should probably lay off that arm, my dude."

"I know. What's going on back there?" Amethyst reached through the window and ruffled Steven's hair.

"It's super tense, and the bed of this truck is hurting my butt! I just wanted to share that with you." The boy laughed hard as he squeezed his friend's arm. Amethyst always managed to make him smile no matter the situation.

"It could be worse, at least Lapis has a topper on the truck." Light blue eyes glowed gently as Pearl spoke. "And we didn't knock on the window to give you a status report on Amethyst's rear end."

"_Pfft_, I did. But I guess Pearl has other stuff to ask." The bartender shrugged and leaned back with her hands behind her head.

"Garnet, where are we?" The thin woman scooted closer to the window.

"We're almost in Cambridge, we'll be crossing the Choptank River in a little while. Then it's another hour or so before we hit the Chesapeake Bay Bridge." Garnet said, never looking away from the road.

"Then another hour after the bridge, this is taking too long!" Yellow said grouchily from the back.

"If you have a faster way general, I'm all ears. We're being hunted, and the lower the profile, the better off we are." Yellow was sitting in the very back impatiently drumming her fingers on her leg while staring out of the rear hatch. A warm arm reached around the boy's shoulders, gently forcing him to sit back down.

"She's worried." A lilting voice whispered into Steven's ear.

"Would you like to know a secret about Yellow?" Blue's voice was playful and soft.

"Yes!"

"What Yellow says is often opposite of her actions. She's very blunt and seems severe at times. But if you ever want to know how she truly feels, watch what she _does_, not what she _says_." Steven looked up into arctic-blue eyes and smiled.

"Your mother used to say she was all marshmallow fluff on the inside."

Steven chuckled as the woman pulled him closer and buried her nose in his hair. They were all having a terrible time right now, but he was glad that Blue was here.

Garnet suddenly turned the headlights off and turned the truck into a nearby neighborhood. She did a "K" turn and parked on the side of the street.

"What's wrong?" The colonel muttered to Garnet.

"Watch," The tennis instructor's eyes were unfocused and distant, but they never left the road ahead of the truck.

Amethyst had stuck her head in through the small window into the cab, and Pearl was just behind her. Yellow stayed were she was at, but her attention was focused entirely on the front.

Soon two police cars glided by on the main road ahead, their lights strobing as they passed. A helicopter could be heard in the distance. Aquamarine was getting closer.

"They're probably at the Choptank River bridge!" Pearl hissed.

Amethyst pulled out a map of the area and laid it flat on the bed of the truck. Just as she was about to open her mouth for some light, Yellow produced a small LED flashlight and handed it to the bartender.

"Okay, here's the dealio guys. We can double back and cross at a town called Tanyard or we can go even further up and cross at a town called Denton. Or, we can go _all the way_ up north and hit JFK Memorial Highway and ride that all the way to DC." Amethyst handed the flashlight back to Yellow, who started to investigate the map herself along with Pearl.

Garnet sighed and leaned back in her seat. She looked at Steven and patted his leg. "We may need a distraction to get through. We're all going to get caught otherwise."

"I got this G, I'll go hotwire a car and cause some damage!" Amethyst said with a toothy grin.

"I'll go with you, I may be able to stall for further time." Yellow Diamond chimed in.

"Wait, you guys can't just do that! What'll happen-" Steven was stopped by a look on Garnet's face. She immediately started the truck and peeled out onto the main road.

"Oh, that's so great! Freaking cops, man!" Amethyst yelled, looking out the back window.

"We can't keep this up! We're going to have to try and lose them in town." Yellow barked. The chopper was now tracking their every move, and more police had joined the chase.

Garnet turned down the main highway and started towards the bridge. The telltale sound of gunfire could be heard behind them.

"Authority officers confirmed!" Pearl yelled as she opened the back hatch to return fire.

"Keep your head down!" Blue told Steven.

Louder gunfire could be heard punching through the roof of the pickup truck, the front windshield shattered and bullet holes and smoke appeared in the dashboard. Garnet swerved, "The helicopter is firing on us! Think you can stop it?!"

The colonel narrowed her eyes and began rolling down her window, she then turned to the boy.

"Stay down, alright?" Steven nodded at Blue.

The colonel then twisted in her seat and yelled at the occupants in the back, "Yellow, I'm taking out the chopper! Suppress the fire from the rear!"

"Copy that!"

More gunfire came from the back of the truck as Blue Diamond opened the passenger door and leaned out, her hand engulfed in azure light. The boy watched as a beam of pure energy was shot up. A loud explosion and a wave of rolling orange fire was seen on the sides of the truck. Blue dove back into the car, slamming the door shut. Garnet punched the gas.

"Good job, colonel." The tennis instructor said. Blue looked at Steven and shook her head.

"Alright! Blue D in the house!" Amethyst grinned in the rearview mirror.

The victory was short-lived; however, the engine started to smoke. "New plan, everyone, the truck took too much damage!"

Garnet rolled into a large construction site just off the Choptank River. The group came to a stop behind a sign advertising the name of the new resort and hotel. Police sirens howling in the distance. Another helicopter appeared across the river. Everyone spilled out of the old Ford and huddled.

"Garnet, what do we do?" Pearl had grabbed Steven's hand, her voice was all panic.

"Let's be real, we're cornered. We're going to have to fight our way out of this." Yellow said, reloading a shotgun and then handing it to Amethyst.

Garnet pursed her lips and nodded, "Everyone pair up. General, you're with me, we're going to take a position behind the construction crane." Yellow hummed and raked a hand through her blonde hair.

"Amethyst, Pearl. You go over to the construction shed on the other side of the yard." The bartender patted Pearl on the back.

"Blue and Steven, there's plenty of solid cover in the unfinished building. You're going to take cover there." Garnet knelt in front of Steven, her eyes boring into his.

"You're going to hide, understand? I know you want to help, but this is going to get really hectic." Steven placed his arms around Garnet's neck and hugged her hard.

"It's okay little man, we're going to get through this somehow," Amethyst said, messing up his hair in her typical fashion.

He finally let go of Garnet and walked up to Pearl, hugging her waist. She bent down and hugged him back and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry, Steven. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your mother, I'm sorry I lied. When this is over-"

"It doesn't matter. I love you no matter what, Pearl." The thin woman held him tighter. The distant chopper was getting closer.

"They're almost here." Yellow Diamond said gruffly. She was crouched behind the wheel well of the Ford.

She glanced over to Steven, "We'll talk more when this is all over, young man. Pay attention to Blue and do as she asks."

The general stood and gave him a nod. The 12 year-old started for the building when he noticed Blue walking over to Yellow. The Irishwoman murmured something into her ear and gave the stern woman a soft kiss.

They just had to get through this.  
… … … … … … … … …

Aquamarine was furious, just enraged. Time and time again, Blue Diamond and the Crystal Gems had escaped her carefully laid plans. She was smarter than this dammit! It was the incompetence of the people around her, it had to be!

Now Yellow Diamond was with them. It was a problem, both Yellow and Blue were classified as Diamonds for a reason. They were currently both working with the Crystal Gems. She just had to overpower them; that was the only way. The agent would figure out an excuse for killing two of the Authority's heads later.

Aquamarine was so close, so damn close…

She looked at the wreck of the helicopter that was burning up the highway. It was a police copter, no real loss. Her own detachment of agents was dwindling, however. She called in for reinforcements about 12 hours ago but was denied. Aquamarine was running out of resources and time.

"Ma'am, White Diamond is requesting a status report, now." Topaz had ambled up behind the diminutive woman. "I have comms up in the van with a link up and ready to go."

"Do you think she suspects anything, Topaz?" Aquamarine's eyes were glowing as bright as the fiery wreck in front of her.

"Honestly ma'am, I think it's time to pack this up. I don't know if the director will buy the story of both Blue and Yello-"

"Excuse me, agent?" An older man with a cowboy hat and a snowy white mustache walked up to Topaz and Aquamarine.

"Sheriff Elliott, we need to talk about what just happened here." The man motioned to the wreck in the street.

In the sweetest tone, Aquamarine could muster, she spoke. "Of course, Sheriff, we're all terribly shook up about what happened here. Rest assured, we'll stop these fugitives and bring them in."

"If you're talking about 'we,' that's going to be your agents and officers. I'm pulling back my deputies. We're way out of our league." The man rubbed his chin and gave Aquamarine a hard look.

"We need your assistance Sheriff, you're mandated to help us if requested." The agent's voice became low and dangerous.

"We're mandated to provide backup if requested, not be on the front lines. We'll cover your back, but I'm not putting any more of my deputies in danger by having them charge headfirst into _your_ fight."

Aquamarine took a deep breath in, then out. "Thank you, Sheriff Elliott, we're sorry for any loss you may have incurred."

"Somehow, I doubt that. You're too damn reckless. I'll do my job though, the folks you've been chasing are holed up at a nearby construction site. We'll create a perimeter a quarter-mile around and alert EMS and Fire. Past that, we're done." The Sheriff tipped his hat and then turned on his heel, leaving Aquamarine and Topaz.

… … … … … … … … …

"Ma'am, White Diamond-"

"Screw White Diamond! Take what's left of our squad to the construction site. We still have enough manpower to take control of the situation."

Topaz cleared her throat and headed back towards the comms van. What she was going to say was; White Diamond had ordered Aquamarine to stand down.

But the burly agent had a feeling that wouldn't have stopped her either. This was personal now, and Aquamarine was putting _everyone_ in danger.

Topaz stepped into the van and gave a nod to a nearby Peridot. She started up the video screen, and agent Pink Pearl appeared.

"Ah, Topaz. The director wished to speak to Aquamarine." The petite woman was clearly tired, flyaways could be seen sticking out of the buns in her hair.

"She won't be coming. Ma'am agent Aquamarine is in gross violation of various US government regulations and laws. She is proceeding in a manner that is unbecoming of an agent of the Authority."

"I see, this is a grievance then." The Pearl began writing on something off-screen.

"Oh, is it ever. We're all in harm's way, I'm sending you the location of the fugitives and our current position. I'll also order as many agents and officers to stand down as I can. Still, many of them are loyal to Aquamarine and her squad." Topaz was sweating, she'd never disobeyed a superior's orders before.

"Understood agent Topaz. Help has already been sent out, hopefully White Diamond can get there before anything further happens. I'll be at this number until the situation resolves, good luck agent."

Topaz watched as the screen went dark. God, she hoped she did the right thing.


	18. Animus

Amethyst was crouched behind a large pile of electrical conduit. The humid air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sirens growing closer to their position, this was intense.

She looked over to Pearl, who was half-hidden behind a tool chest. Amethyst didn't have a clear view in the dark, but she could see the thin woman was sobbing, a hand pressed tightly across her mouth.

"Hey, pierogi, it's going to be okay. We'll make it through this somehow." A chopper flew nearby, it's spotlight visible through a hole in the corrugated metal wall.

"You think we'll still be employed when we get back, P?" A wry smile stretched across the bartender's face.

Pearl choked out a laugh, and Amethyst knew she had hit her mark. "Not a chance!" The manager's voice was hoarse and cynical.

"You know, I never did like that job." The admission shocked Amethyst, Pearl was the _perfect_ manager.

"For real? You could have fooled me!" The shorter woman chuckled.

"It was close by; it paid decent money, and I could be home in the afternoon when Steven got back from school. I hate the smell of raw fish, and the owners of the Crab Shack are horrible people. They make us put imitation crab meat in everything they can get away with and still charge full price."

Amethyst guffawed at the admission, "Pearl! Girl, you just went _off_ on the Crab Shack!"

"I'm a way better cook than both the chef and the sous chef there. _Oh_, what a waste. No one will ever know except you, Garnet and Steven." Movement could be seen near the chain-link fence surrounding the construction site. Amethyst watched as Pearl chambered a bullet in her Glock.

"When this is over, you wanna open our own place? I can run the bar, and you can run the restaurant. It'll be great, you can make those amazing burgers with the onion rings! I was scoping out the old Aqua-Mexican restaurant." Amethyst ratcheted her shotgun as she checked the sights.

Pearl gave a soft but bitter laugh, "Assuming we survive this and somehow don't end up in federal prison… That sounds like a grand plan, I'm all in. What are we going to call it? It'll have to be catchy because it's on the far end of the boardwalk."

Authority agents were creeping slowly towards them, night-vision goggles down, and weapons loaded. The plan was to wait for Garnet to hit the switch for the floodlights. Amethyst was getting antsy, she didn't want those goons to get too close to the building where Steven was.

"_The Hidden Gem_. What'cha think?" Amethyst's gun was trained on the nearest target. Pearl had already faded from view.

"I like it, it's ironic, but it's fitting." There was a long pause before Pearl spoke again.

Amethyst? I know I've always been hard on you…"

"P, you're like my sister. Whatever happens, I love you."

The floodlights came on, washing the construction yard in an unnatural white light. The officers wearing the night vision goggles were temporarily blinded. Amethyst new this was her and Pearl's queue to attack.  
… … … … … … … … …

Yellow watched as Garnet hovered near the utility pole. Her hand gently resting on the breaker that would activate the floodlights in the yard.

This was a cosmic joke, it had to be, there was no other explanation for it. Yellow was in a fight, so dire she may not make it out. What's worse? Blue was here with her, with their grandson. And she had to rely on the criminals she'd been hunting for years to help her get out of this mess.

Turns out they weren't so terrible after all, they were human beings. (She'd bite her tongue off before admitting it, however.) Carissa spent the last years of her life with these people. She always saw the good in everyone.

Yellow didn't know how her daughter could do that. Putting her heart on her sleeve. That's how you got hurt, she tried explaining it to Carissa, but the child only got angry. She was so reckless, the consequences be damned, and she had a temper like a volcano…

Now Yellow had a grandson, and that beautiful child seemed to have the same mindset. But he was thoughtful, compassionate. God, she wished she had more time with Steven.

One thing was certain, she was going to make sure that boy and Blue got out of this alive no matter what.

"I can hear you thinking from here general." The ever aloof leader of the Crystal Gems said softly. She was only about five feet away from where Yellow was crouched. The bulldozer and crane made for excellent cover.

"I was just centering myself. I… I have to know something." The general grimaced when she saw movement around the chain-link fence. The group had taken out a lot of Aquamarine's forces at the farm, but they were still grossly outnumbered.

"I'll answer if I can." The smooth British accent drifted through the oppressively hot air.

"The last few years she, Carissa or Rose, was alive. Was she happy?" Yellow cleared her throat, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes when she looked at Garnet.

The chopper that was across the river was now precariously close to their location. More figures appeared around the perimeter of the construction site.

"She was loved fiercely, and she loved back fiercely. At the end…" The blonde couldn't see the woman's eyes behind her sunglasses, but she knew the carnage that was there.

"At the end, she was positively glowing. Rose was the happiest I'd ever seen her, she couldn't wait to meet Steven."

Yellow barked out a laugh, tears rolled down her face. There was no holding back these emotions and Melena, was only human. "That sounds just like her. Thank you."

Garnet nodded and looked away. The silence between the two women was amicable, they watched as shadowy figures padded across the construction site. It was time.

"Going to flip the breaker in three, two, one…"  
… … … … … … … … …

Steven was kneeling behind a stack of bricks with Blue. They had entered the skeletal structure, hoping to escape upwards, but the power was out for the time being. Garnet was going to fix that, but she wanted to catch the officers coming after them by surprise. So, he and Blue sat on the ground floor.

The building was maybe a third of the way complete. It's foundation poured, and the walls were mostly built on the bottom floor up to about the second floor. The rest of the structure was all steel girders and cement support beams. Plastic sheets lining the outside rustled ominously in the breeze off the river.

Blue shifted from one leg to the other, she was crouched right next to Steven. Her breathing was harsh, and sweat beaded down the sides of her face making her beautiful silver-hair damp. The boy was amazed at how Blue just pushed on despite having been shot more than once. He got grazed on the arm and was screaming when it happened.

"Steven, what are you going to do when this is done?" The question caught him by surprise. It seemed like none of this was ever going to end. The 12 year-old looked up into softly glowing arctic-blue eyes. There was so much to say, and the situation seemed so final right now.

"Uh, probably sit in bed and eat an entire box of Cookie Cat ice cream sandwiches while playing Minecraft. That's my short term goal anyway." The boy tugged on the end of his shirt.

Blue laughed, and Steven didn't think he had ever heard her laugh like that before. It was pure and uninhibited and tinged with love. Her smile was flawless, and tears were in her eyes, but they weren't there because she was sad.

This was the happiest Steven had ever seen, Blue Diamond. They were hiding in the middle of an unfinished building surrounded by people that wanted to kill them, and they were both injured. But Blue was absolutely radiant, her aura was pulling all sorts of emotions from the boy. (All of them good.)

"That sounds lovely right now. I'm with you." She carded her hand through his messy curls, her touch as soft as a feather.

There was motion at the fence in the front. Steven sighed, he knew things were going to end here one way or another. He scooted closer to Blue, and she wrapped her arm around him.

"We can do that when this is all over, sit in bed, and eat ice cream. Play Minecraft." The boy looked up at Blue, stars filling his eyes.

"_Hmm_, I don't know how to play Minecraft, though. I'm not a gamer, I'm going to need a teacher." She winked at Steven.

"It's okay, Blue! I'll teach you when this is all over, I promise!" The helicopter could be heard nearby, things were about to explode. Steven was young but not naïve, everyone was trying to stay positive, but there was a small army after them. He may not see anyone ever again; Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst. His dad, Connie. Yellow or Blue…

"Blue, I love you. I'm glad I found you." Steven wrapped his arms around Blue's neck and held her tight, and she held him just as hard.

"I love you too. I'm not really sure what I did to deserve you, but…" Blue gently pulled away, and tenderly kissed Steven on the cheek while brushing his tears away.

"We have to focus now, alright?" The Irish woman's gaze was set on the yard in front of them. Figures moved with purpose towards them.

Steven's saw spots dance in his eyes when the floodlights snapped on.  
… … … … … … … … …

That damned sheriff was wrong, he had to be. There was no one here at this construction site, the Crystal Gems must have escaped again. Aquamarine stood at the entrance of the construction site wearing her own set of Kevlar armor. She had a Ruger Super Redhawk strapped to her hip, the revolver had enough power to stop a rhino. Her ability to paralyze was more than adequate; however, she really didn't need the gun. (She simply liked the feel of having the monster handgun at her side.)

The rest of the agent's squad was covering the area, searching always searching. It was then that Aquamarine noticed that there were only about 20 people on the ground. The group was mostly comprised of Ruby agents and officers, there were two or three Quartz agents.

There should be at least five more agents. More Quartz and a couple of Peridots… Where was Topaz? (Where was her air support for that matter?)

Blinding light filled Aquamarine's eyes, she was temporarily blinded but quickly recovered. She looked up to see gunfire from a nearby shed. The one they called Amethyst was raising hell with a shotgun, she looked like she was alone, but officers started to drop with seemingly no attacker. _White Pearl_!

Things didn't look good for the pair. A surge of gunfire and officers were rushing in when Yellow Diamond flashed through the bulk of the squad, taking out at least three of Aquamarine's men.

Then the one they called Garnet jumped into the fray. Her hands glowed a deep dark red, she was going to wreck someone. The leader of the Crystal Gems picked up a steel girder and threw it at some nearby Ruby agents.

Four Gems were wreaking havoc on 20 plus armed men and women. Where was the god-damned air support!? Where was Topaz!?

"Aquamarine to Topaz! You have one second to respond you big stupid oaf or I'll-"

"This is agent Hessonite responding for Topaz, over."

Finally, some backup, the diminutive woman took a deep breath before answering, "It's good to hear your voice Hessonite. I'm going to need some air support ASAP. The Crystal Gems are more formidable than anticipated, and the local law enforcement is refusing to help."

"Negative Aquamarine, White Diamond is ordering you and your squad to stand down immediately. My strike squad will be coming in to take over the situation. You are officially being relieved of duty." The contralto voice said smoothly over the radio.

All Aquamarine saw was red. The seething anger was too much, she howled with rage. Not that anyone fighting in front of her noticed. She couldn't care less about the fight in front of her now. She would tell no one to stand down.

This, this was Blue Diamond's fault. It was her fault, dammit! And that boy, Steven Universe…

Those were the only two people not accounted for. Aquamarine scanned the area with a critical eye. Where, oh, where could they be? She looked at the partially finished building and noted that the elevator had been used. If all the workers had gone for the day, why was the elevator on the seventh floor?

"Found you bitch and your little boy too." If Aquamarine was going down, she was going to take Blue Diamond and Steven Universe with her.  
… … … … … … … … …

Blue was sure she didn't need to take Steven to the seventh floor of the ten-story building, but there was a lot of stray gunfire. She wanted to be sure he was well away from any danger.

The pair was a little more exposed up here. The cement exterior had been put in place, but little else. Steel girders and piles of rebar were strewn about. Drywall dust blew around in the breeze.

Blue didn't quite know what to do with herself. She wanted to run down and help, but it was clear why she was sent up here with Steven. She was injured, she would be a liability. That and Steven needed a guardian if someone decided to make their way up. Blue could do that. God help anyone that chose to make their way up here because Blue Diamond had run out of patience about a day ago.

She paced, checking, and re-checking her sidearm. "Blue, there's plenty of room."

She paused and smiled, Steven was sitting on top of a pile of cement mix. His short legs kicking nervously. "I'm sorry, love, I'm a bit anxious."

He loved her. It warmed the core of her broken heart.

It was strange; about a year after Blue lost Carissa, she had tried to end her life. She had gone to her daughter's grave with a single handgun, and a hollow-tipped bullet and held it to her temple. She was going to do it, and Yellow just happened to be visiting the grave that morning.

She was still in existence because of Melena. It was just that, however, and existence. Some years didn't seem so bad, while others were terrible. She hated her wife sometimes, and other times she couldn't go on without her. Time passed, and she took up drinking, a slower form of destruction over a quick one. Time had no meaning.

But this past week, it was like something woke up. She felt more than just sadness and despair. This boy was showing her how to live again. And _oh_, how she wanted to now. Blue didn't want to just exist anymore; she wanted to live.

Linna Diamant wanted to be alive with Steven, and Melena and Bianca. She was ready, there was still a lot to work through, but she wanted a future now.

Blue's head jerked towards the construction elevator, it was called down to the first floor. Steven hopped off his makeshift seat and watched intently as the elevator was slowly descending. Fighting could still be heard below, Blue wasn't sure if this was a friend or foe.

"Steven, hide behind that pile of bricks in the corner." The colonel cocked her gun, eyes piercing the darkness around her.

"But, Blue!"

"Do as I ask, and stay put." She glanced back as the boy hesitantly jogged over to his assigned place.

The colonel made sure her handgun was ready and took cover behind a cement support. She watched as the elevator ascended, and then stopped on their story. The cage rattled open to reveal Aquamarine. (Of course, it would be her, why wouldn't it be?)

Blue noted that the usually sickly sweet façade was gone, however. Replaced by sneering hatred, her eyes burned through the darkness with purpose.

"I know you're here! I know you are; the elevator was sitting on this floor! You think you're so smart, I'm going to get the last laugh though, _Blue Diamond_." The diminutive woman was ranting, something had happened.

"Topaz turned on me, and White Diamond told me to stand down! Me!" Aquamarine was walking away from Blue and Steven's position at this point, and that was just fine. The colonel was shopping for the best opportunity to strike.

"She's sending in Hessonite with a new squad to take my glory, mine! Well If I'm going to lose, you're losing with me, Colonel Diamant. The boy is losing too,"

The agent walked by Blue's position, she had to be careful, there's a reason why "Beryl" class gems are only second to "Diamond" class.

"I'll make you watch as I end his life. Then, I'll end your life!"

That was enough, Blue jumped out and grabbed Aquamarine from behind, locking her in a classic "sleeper hold."

But the colonel was weak, she was injured and had been on the run for days now. Somehow the agent managed to get a hold of her injured arm and flipped Blue over her shoulder.

The smaller woman lunged for Blue on the ground. But Blue managed to roll forward and up at the last second, putting out her elbow. Aquamarine grunted as the air left her lungs. She was wearing armor so the move wouldn't stun her for long.

The colonel threw a punch, but agent blocked and smashed her fist into Blue's side, the side where she was shot. The Irish woman screamed and doubled over and fell to her knees.

A hot white-blue light was radiating from Aquamarine, "I'm going to hold you in place right here while I find that little brat!"

"No!" Steven flung his shield and is smashed into the agent, knocking her back. The boy threw another, but Aquamarine was on to him.

"Think you can best me! You're nothing without your friends!" The agent lunged again in a rage. Still, Steven was ready; he put up a magenta-colored bubble, and Aquamarine was thrown back.

This was Blue's chance, she shot a beam of Azure light at the woman, and she collided with the pile of bricks that Steven was hiding behind, not moments before. She didn't get up.

"You okay!?" Steven was out of breath but whole and uninjured. He helped Blue up from her knees, and she held her side.

A helicopter spotlight was raking the yard and the side of the building. "Attention, all suspects are to throw down your weapons and put your hands up in the air. Resistance will be met with force."

Hessonite's voice echoed through the skeletal building. Finally, help had arrived. They were all going to be arrested, but everyone would be safe, at least. The elevator was once again called and began to rattle as it descended.

"Listen, love, we're probably going to be detained by the Authority. Just do as they say, and we'll straighten everything up later." Blue held Steven's hand and squeezed.

"O-Okay." The boy began heading towards the elevator.

He looked back at Blue uncertainly. "Don't be afraid, everything will be alright."

"No, it won't be."

A thunderous blast resonated through the empty hotel floor. Blue instantly fell to her knees and looked down. A bloody ragged hole the size of a teacup had been punched through her chest. She wanted to tell Steven to run, but the pain…

Blue fell forward, darkness encroaching on the edges of her vision. All she could hear was Steven screaming.


	19. Tears of the Heart

White Diamond stepped out of the VH-60N White Hawk seconds after it touched down. Her Manolo Blahnik ankle boots making sharp noises on the gravel as she walked. Roughly 20 officers and agents were detained, Hessonite's squad securing everyone with zip-tie handcuffs.

"Where are the Crystal Gems?" White asked in a no-nonsense tone as she walked up to Hessonite.

The woman had bushy red hair and a smooth but haughty contralto voice. She was one of the Authority's most capable commanders. "They're just in front of the building with Yellow Diamond. They surrendered without a fight."

"The Topaz that reported in?" Part of the reason White was able to act so quickly was because there was descent in Aquamarine's squad. Her second in command, a Topaz, saw the situation had become out of hand and called in.

"She's just outside the construction site with a handful of agents and officers. They're giving statements about what's transpired here tonight." Hessonite motioned towards the street.

"The local sheriff also gave a statement. He lost a few deputies, he's got quite the complaint against our agency."

The director merely nodded at the statement and quickly strode forward to the unfinished building. She passed ambulances with injured occupants and police cars with strobing red and blue lights. Bullet casings and signs of fighting were everywhere.

Finally, the pair reached the building, and there was Yellow Diamond. Two EMTs were investigating an injury she had received on her back. Relief washed over White as she approached.

"Alright there, sunlight?" White knelt in front of the stretcher. Yellow was laying at an odd angle while more gauze was being applied to her wound.

"Thank god you're here! It's been hell!" Her face was red and sweaty, and her patience had long since been spent.

"You'll have to tell me all about it now-"

"No, I haven't seen Blue or the boy!" The general barked and glanced at Hessonite.

"We haven't cleared all the floors yet, it's a large building. I'll get a status report." The red-haired woman made to move when a gunshot echoed down.

White stood, as others took cover. It was a single shot, large caliber. Yellow moved to get up, but White simply held out her hand while reaching for the pistol in her shoulder holster.

"Status report, what floor are you on? Has agent Aquamarine been located?" Hessonite ordered over the radio as she stepped towards the elevator.

"Mother, they haven't found Aquamarine yet!" The look on her daughters face told White everything. She was terrified and near panicked. White crouched again and chambered a bullet in her Walther PPK.

"I've got this one, alright? I'm going to settle this, just let the EMTs do their work." She holstered her gun and brushed golden locks of hair from Melena's sweaty forehead.

White's hand came to rest on her daughter's cheek, and Yellow held it there by the wrist for a moment leaning into the caress. It had been a long time since White had shown her daughter any sort of physical affection.

The director then stood up and nodded, "This will all be over soon, general."

She quickly moved in the direction of the elevator and glanced over to the Crystal Gems. The trio was kneeling on the ground with their hands cuffed behind them, several armed officers were watching over them. White was dying to ask them a few questions, but it would have to wait.

"Director!" The largest of the three called out, she had one sapphire-blue eye and one rusty-brown eye. (Garnet if she remembered correctly…) White arched a discerning eyebrow at her.

"The fourth floor, go to the west side of the fourth floor near the edge next to the scaffolding!" The woman was immediately shushed. But White had a feeling there was something to this statement. The strike squad was just now finishing up on the second floor, so the director would be going into an uncleared area.

She stepped into the elevator, Hessonite was already waiting. "Which floor director?"

"The fourth, my dear."

"Ah, we haven't cleared tha-"

"I understand that area hasn't been cleared. Have your officers continue their sweep floor by floor as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, I'm going to see what's so special about the fourth level. Do you have a radio?" Hessonite swallowed hard and pressed the button to ascend.  
… … … … … … … … …

He couldn't move, and he could scarcely breathe. Aquamarine had frozen him somehow and was now bringing Steven over to the building's ledge by the collar of his shirt. Why couldn't he move!?

He watched helplessly as Blue tried crawling after the pair, painfully reaching out with a bloodied shaking hand. "I was going to let you live, have you studied. But not now, you're too much of a liability."

The woman was utterly crazy, eyes wide, and short bob haircut sticking to her sweaty brow. There was just a searing hatred that Aquamarine had that Steven couldn't understand. How could someone hate _so much_?

They had reached the edge of the floor, Aquamarine hefting him up, his feet dangling over nothing but air. "Are you watching Blue Diamond?"

"This is what you get, you _filthy little animal_!" She let go.

Steven felt himself falling, this was it, the end. No more dad, no more school, no more staying up late and playing video games with Connie. No more helping Lapis with her vet clinic on the farm…

He was grabbed and wrenched up from his right arm so hard it took the boy's breath away, "_Ah_, there you are! That must have been quite the scare."

He cried out, and tears stung his eyes as his feet were firmly placed back on a solid surface. The 12 year-old had no idea who had stopped his fall, but he clung to them desperately with his left hand.

Steven opened his eyes a second later, and an older woman was crouched in front of him. She had wild snowy hair and silver eyes that glowed. She was wearing white pants and a black blouse with a Kevlar vest over the top, the Authority symbol emblazoned on the left side.

"Deep breaths, starlight." She murmured to him as she wrapped her left arm around his shoulder, making sure he didn't inadvertently step off the scaffolding they were perched on.

"Who?" Steven croaked, and the old woman smiled as she brought a finger up to her dark-colored lips.

"White Diamond." She whispered, her warm breath danced across the boy's cheek. The both of them looked up when yelling was heard above them.

"Listen, it's Blue, she's in big trouble! She's hurt really bad and-" White pressed her fingers delicately to Steven's mouth, he was being too loud.

She removed her fingers and traced his cheek with perfectly manicured ink-black nails. "What floor?"

"The seventh." The boy whispered.

"Stay put, starlight, I'll take things from here." White stood and glanced upwards, the scaffolding looked like it went all the way up to the tenth floor.

"I won't stay here! I have to save Blue!" It wasn't a shout, but it certainly startled the older woman. She glanced at Steven and then upwards again.

"Stay behind me, and don't make a sound." The woman then jerked her head towards the metal stairs leading up.  
… … … … … … … … …

White had delved deep into Aquamarine's personnel and medical files. Typically background information such as medical files was off-limits and protected by law. However, the circumstances had changed, and an ugly mental profile had been revealed.

Aquamarine had lost both her parents at age five, and her great aunt had taken custody of her. She was then mentally and physically abused by the woman for years until age nine. That was when the house that Aquamarine and her great aunt had been living in had burnt down. Aquamarine didn't even try to hide the fact that she did it.

The Horsham court system in Britain ordered her to be held in a secure children's home. Finally, free of abuse, she was shown to be brilliant but troubled. She was manipulative and self-serving and lacked any remorse for wrongdoing. She was a sociopath.

The one thing that was documented time and time again, however, was how any mention of Aquamarine's great aunt triggered her. It was a tool that White had tucked away in the back of her head.

The pair reached the top of the steps leading to the seventh floor, Aquamarine could be heard ranting. White poked her head up, and the two women could be seen several dozen feet away.

Aquamarine was grinding the heel of her boot into Blue's side. All the colonel could do was try and stop it. This was terrible, White had to act now. She could call for backup, but she knew it would exacerbate the situation.

No, White just needed a few moments. She reached out with her mind; there was the boy his anxiety was crushing, _pull back_. There was Blue Diamond, she was barely holding on, a burning anger was all that was keeping her going at this point. She wanted to _kill_ the woman who hurt Steven.

Then there was Aquamarine, her mind was a mess. Hate and rage, she _deserved_ to be in charge of the Authority. White pushed past that to the memories in the back of her mind, the uncertainty, and the pain that her troubled upbringing had caused her. This would be difficult, all the rage she was telegraphing made her mind a steel trap.

"Stay here, this is as far as you go. When I say it's clear you can come up, understand?" The boy nodded, his eyes wide. White stepped up and unholstered her pistol while walking calmly over to the raging agent and the injured Blue Diamond.

"That's enough, Aquamarine." The small woman was startled out of her ranting, pointing her revolver at White Diamond. (That was a hell of a hand cannon.)

"No, this is just as much your fault as it is Blue Diamond's fault! If you had just fleeted me up to her position when I asked none of this would have happened. I deserve more!" The woman was practically frothing at the mouth.

"And why would I do that? You're good, but not the best. _Far from perfect_, my dear." The director had to get Aquamarine to focus on her and not Blue.

"I was the one that held our branch together while this drunk was absent! All the sacrifices I made and what do I get? Nothing! Then we make one of the greatest genetic finds of the decade, a male Gem, and you just throw it away!"

"I'll make you pay, just like I making her pay!" The agent pointed her revolver back down at Blue, who tried to get up but was too weak.

"You don't deserve anything, _you filthy little beast_!" This was risky, but White was counting on this emotional response. She just needed Aquamarine to open up her mind a little bit, then the older woman could shut her down.

"You're just a filthy little beast! Wetting the bed, always making a mess. No wonder your parents died, they wanted to escape from you!" Aquamarine instantly covered her ears with her hands and began to vehemently shake her head. She was walking backward, trying to get away from White Diamond. The director simply followed calmly, walking past Blue on the ground.

There was a part of White that felt terrible exploiting her this way. This woman was a poor, tortured soul, but then again, the situation they were all in right now was caused solely by her. "You'll never amount to anything, the sheets that you messed are worth more than you! _You filthy little animal_!"

"**NO**!" Aquamarine screamed and held her weapon out, pulling on the trigger. That was it, her mind was open, and White seized on it.

The smaller woman seemed to freeze in place, mouth gaping, eyes wide in surprise, finger half squeezing the trigger on the revolver. Then she simply collapsed on the floor. No movement was observed as White waited and watched. She then holstered her pistol and ran to Blue Diamond.

"I need EMTs to the seventh floor now, there's an agent down!" The director yelled into the radio as she dropped next to her daughter-in-law. The hole in her chest was massive, there was too much blood being lost.

"_Oh_, moonbeam, just hold on, alright?" White pressed both hands over the wound, blood welling up between her fingers. It was a sucking chest wound.

"White? Steven, Steven, was thrown," She was hysterical despite her injury.

"Blue?!" The boy ran over and skidded to a halt opposite White.

"Steven, you're here, you-" She reached out to the boy, grabbing and holding his hand.

"Don't speak moonbeam, help is coming." The elevator could be heard moving and voices echoed up from below.

"Blue, stay with me. I'm supposed to teach you how to play Minecraft, remember?" Tears streamed down the boy's face.

"Steven, I'm sorry, love. I want to be with you, I really do," The colonel coughed, and dark-colored blood dribbled down her chin. "Seems like all I can do is apologize to you. Can't do anything right these days."

The Irish woman looked over, "White, tell Melena I love her, _please_."

The EMTs exploded from the elevator running at breakneck speed along with Hessonite and several Authority officers. Both White and Steven were pulled back as the technicians began working to stabilize Blue Diamond.

"Blood pressure is dropping fast! Seal that chest wound,"

Hessonite called up some more support for Aquamarine, but White hardly noticed. An agent came by with a bottle of alcohol and had the director rinse her hands off. Her eyes never left the figure on the ground.

"Bag her, she's not breathing!"

The old woman looked over to the boy, he was tugging on his shirt, tears continuously falling from his eyes. She stepped over to him and offered her hand, this wasn't anything a child should see. He grasped it and squeezed it tightly.

"No pulse, she's gone…"

Steven buried his face in White's side, "We should get you downstairs, starlight."

White Diamond felt numb, she wasn't fast enough, and someone she loved died. She started to move ushering the boy with her, there were things to attend to. The pair passed Linna Diamant's body as the medical technicians were placing a sheet over her.

Steven broke free and ran over, pushing aside a technician with incredible force knocking him off his feet, "You can't do this! You said everything was going to be alright! Don't lie to me, Blue!"

He was bawling over Blue's lifeless body. Hessonite walked over and gave White a somber look, "Director, should I?"

"No, I'll take care of this." White walked over to Steven and carefully knelt while motioning for the other EMT to step away for a moment.

"Steven, there's nothing you can do, let's-" A shuddering gasp came from Blue Diamond, and she began to cough. The EMTs jumped back into action.

"Pulse is stable, and this wound is superficial! This was a deep chest wound, what the hell is going on here!?" The EMT that Steven had pushed said incredulously.

Steven got up and took two wobbly steps backward. White got up and followed closely, "Are… Are you alright?"

"I-I don't feel good." The boy fell backward, and White Diamond caught him.

"I need help over here!" The director yelled as she gently laid the unconscious boy on the floor.  
… … … … … … … … …

Steven woke to a dark room that was empty except for him. A heart monitor that periodically beeped was next to him, and a tube that fed him oxygen was placed in his nose. The boy tried to move, but he was so weak, none of his muscles wanted to work; it was painful.

"_Ah_, I'm relieved to see you awake. You had me worried, starlight." A saccharine voice said from the darkness.

White Diamond was sitting near the side of the bed opposite the heart monitor. She looked tired and had removed her gun and Kevlar vest, but her eyes still burned a silvery light.

"Where are we?" Steven croaked.

"We are currently in the George Washington University Hospital in DC. How do you feel?" She leaned back and crossed her legs.

"I can barely move, what's wrong with me?" He took a deep breath in, and his chest ached.

"Well, the doctors told me that you have a dangerous electrolyte imbalance. They're not entirely sure how it occurred, but I'm certain it's a result of that feat you performed on Lt. Colonel Diamant."

Steven blinked, trying to remember. They were at the construction site, and Blue was shot! He thought she had died and was crying, but somehow Blue was still alive? The 12 year-old was so confused.

"I don't… That was me?" The boy asked his voice, raising an octave.

"Oh, yes, that was you. That's quite a powerful talent you have, starlight. In my experience death is rather permanent. It seems to take a lot out of you, however." Steven couldn't explain the look on the older woman's face, she just seemed affected.

"Is Blue okay?" That question was one of many on his list.

"She's doing very well, better than you, in fact. I believe she'll be released from the hospital before you."

"What about the Crystal Gems?" This was the other burning question. Steven's heart sank, this was going to be a less than stellar answer.

"They are in the DC Central Detention Facility nearby. They've broken a lot of laws over the years, and I'm afraid I couldn't just let them go." Steven looked away at the answer, it wasn't exactly what he was looking for. White Diamond seemed to pick up on this.

"Oh, but they're all fine. They were roughed up a bit in the fight but nothing serious. Yellow is doing well too, same as the Crystal gems, just a few scratches." She amended after seeing the look on the boy's face.

"You know you're being detained as well, for the time being. I'm working on getting the charges dropped; this was just a mess you were caught in."

Tears rolled down his cheeks; he was far from home, and Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were in prison. And Steven was under arrest, he just wanted to go home. He was so done.

"Starlight, we'll figure this out, just sit tight." White picked up a tissue from the side table and wiped away his tears, he barely knew this woman, and she was doting over him.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" It was strange, this woman giving him a nickname and they were relative strangers.

"Because the minute I laid eyes on you, you reminded me of your mother. That was my pet name for her, starlight." The old woman chuckled, but it was bitter.

"Your mother, my grandaughter. I can stop calling you that if-"

"No, it's alright, really." Steven reached out and held her hand. White just nodded and gave a sad smile.

"What did you do to Aquamarine at the construction site?" The 12 year-old asked tentatively, he was scared of the answer.

"Oh, that? I turned her _off_. At least that's how I label it." White gently stroked the back of Steven's hand with her thumb.

"I have an array of mental abilities at my disposal. I can read minds and take control of people. I simply shut down Aquamarines thought processes and a few of her basic motor functions. Some would argue that it was far too gentle a punishment, but I felt there had been enough bloodshed." White squeezed the boy's hand and let it go.

"She'll recover in a few days' time. Then she'll probably wish I had used a more violent tactic." Steven nodded at the answer. He was relieved that no one else was severely hurt.

"No doubt you have many more questions, but you need to _rest_. I'm going to get in contact with your father and let him know that you're safe, I can only imagine what he must be going through." White pulled the covers up over Steven and grabbed her blazer from the chair she was sitting in.

"Get some sleep, starlight. If you need anything, and I mean anything, just ask for me, and I'll come see you."

The woman walked out of the room, leaving Steven in the dark. He was worried, but he was exhausted. The boy slowly drifted away into sweet unconsciousness.


	20. Loose Ends

Lt. Colonel Diamant sat on the bench facing the mirror of her vanity as she brushed her long silvery locks in preparation for bed. There was a court hearing tomorrow. But it wasn't hers, it was Steven's.

The boy had been in the hospital for two days and then taken into federal custody. Multiple assault charges, aiding and abetting known fugitives, destruction of government property, the list went on. Many of the charges Blue shared with him. But unlike Steven, Blue was bonded out. He was sent to the Youth Services Center near Crystal City. This would be his second day there, it was two days too long in Blue's opinion.

The issue wasn't money or counsel, White pulled an attorney from the Authority legal department to assist. The problem was custody, Steven was a minor. He would need to be remanded to a legal guardian. That would typically be the parents. But Steven's father was a resident of Delmarva, not Virginia. The preliminary ruling was that Steven was considered a flight risk, and he couldn't leave the greater DC area. That meant he could be held in a juvenile detention center for weeks before any trial.

As Steven's maternal grandparents, Blue and Yellow could take custody of him, but they would need a special power of attorney. Counselor Zircon arranged for a meeting at the federal courthouse downtown with Greg Universe early the next morning. (Both Blue and Yellow were curious, to say the least. This man was married to their daughter and was raising Steven.)

The colonel stood, she was still sore, her wounds still bandaged and healing. But they weren't even close to life-threatening. She was recovering at an accelerated rate, what would have taken weeks to heal was taking days. It was a miracle, Steven had pulled her from the very jaws of death.

She had been clinically dead for roughly five minutes, but somehow Steven reversed nearly all the damage done. Linna had no words, she barely remembered anything, she just remembered waking up in the hospital with Melena in an absolute state. The doctors in the trauma unit actually had to give her wife a dose of Xanax before she calmed down.

The only other time she'd seen that woman so frantic was when Carissa first went missing. People often said that General Diamant is made of stone, but Linna knew that that was the furthest from the truth you could possibly be.

Blue scrutinized her Air Force dress blues hanging up on the outside of the closet (She didn't want any last-minute snags to hold her up tomorrow). There was a soft knock at the door, "Afina, did you find my phone?"

It was typical, Blue could _never_ keep track of her phone. Usually, she would set it down somewhere close by and simply forget where she had left it. She had sent Afina to find it for her before she settled down for the night.

"You know, I honestly don't know how you manage to lose your phone so much." Yellow's voice drawled close to her ear, her warm breath dancing across Blue's cheek.

Blue jumped at Yellow's sudden appearance. She placed her hands on strong shoulders to steady herself. "You startled me!"

"I'm sorry, I was just checking in on you." The general placed the phone on the vanity and gently held Blue's wrists.

"Did you tell Afina-"

"To go home for the night? Yes, she'll be here early tomorrow in case you need help." Yellow was wearing a thin olive-colored t-shirt with camo pants that was standard of the US Marine Corps. Blue could feel the corded muscles in her shoulders and neck as she trailed her hands across the general's back.

"How is the injury on your… _lower back_?" She stopped just above the waistline of her pants on the right side and gave the austere woman a soft, mischievous smile. Yellow was actually shot in the posterior, but pride and stubbornness made her swear up and down that it was her "lower back."

"_It's fine_." She said with a slightly exasperated tone and pulled Blue closer. "I'm more interested in how you are doing."

"I'm sore, but it's nothing an aspirin can't help with. I'm anxious about tomorrow. Steven, I can't let him sit in that detention facility." Blue buried her face in Yellow's neck. She was warm and smelled like soap and coffee. (God, how this woman drank too much coffee. It had always been the case ever since Blue had known her.)

"We've done everything we possibly could. For now, we'll just have to wait and see." Melena gently carded her hand through soft, silver locks.

Linna continued to stroke the marine's back, the pair just holding each other. How hard was this for poor Melena. Linna couldn't fathom why her wife even bothered with her. Especially after how she had treated the poor woman over the past decade.

They had been a pair for years now. When Melena had met Linna, the two of them were only a couple years out of basic training. They just clicked, together they were stronger, they could achieve anything so long as they were together. Linna never imagined the two of them would spend the better part of 14 years at each other's throats.

But the Irish woman could see the light at the end of that long dark tunnel.

Somehow, they were both still here, and after some soul searching, Linna was still in love with Melena, despite everything. She just hoped that Melena felt the same way…

The general cleared her throat, "I should… I should let you get some sleep."

The tone of Melena's voice was clear, she didn't want to leave, but she didn't want to push the boundary that had been put up over a decade ago. But Linna was finally ready to break said boundary.

"Don't go, stay with me." Linna pulled back and rested her forehead against Melena's so she could look into her beautiful gilt-colored eyes.

"You... want me to stay?" A deep blush colored the general's cheeks.

"I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I love you, with every fiber of my being. I've said this far too infrequently over the past few years, and I regret that." Linna moved, so her lips were brushing the shell of Melena's ear.

"But, I'm ready to love you again, the way you _deserve_ to be loved if you're willing to give me another chance." There was a pause, and Linna could feel her wife's heartbeat through the thin fabric of her silk bathrobe.

The response was enthusiastic, to say the least. Melena picked Linna up in one smooth motion and gave her a mouthful of a kiss while she carried the Irish woman over to the bed.

Gently Melena set Linna down as the pair parted. The general draped herself over Blue and began to untuck her shirt from her pants.

Blue began to gently bite Yellow's neck as she flipped the blonde on to her back. The general suddenly went rigid and barked out in pain.

Blue pulled away, her eyes wide in concern, hands resting on Yellow's chest. "Is everything alright!? I didn't mean-"

"No-no, it's alright, darling, that wasn't you!" Yellow carefully rolled over on her side, and Blue followed suit. Her hand carefully rested on her back-side.

"_Oh_! Oh, Melena, I'm sorry, love, we'll just have to be mindful of your _ass_." It might kill the mood, but Blue was counting on getting a rise out of Yellow.

She wanted to see her wife's smile and her beautiful eyes light up. Linna wanted Melena unfettered from the stony barriers that she frequently put up to protect her bleeding heart. Barriers, no doubt raised in part due to Blue, a pang of guilt crept through her chest. (Linna had _so much_ to make up for.)

"I was shot in the lower back!" The general said roughly in indignation. But Blue knew she had gotten exactly what she wanted when Yellow began to grin despite her tone.

"Love, it's just you and me here right now," Linna was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. (God, how she missed teasing and loving this woman!)

"We both know you were shot in the ass!"

Blue laughed even harder as Yellow pinned both her arms to the bed, and not much was said after that.  
… … … … … … … … …

Greg Universe was a _wreck_, to say the very least. He was in a borrowed mocha-colored blazer with a red tie. Mr. Smiley was kind enough to help Greg out, but the poor carwash owner couldn't wear the entire suit; Harold Smiley was a good six inches taller than he was.

The old rocker tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his borrowed shirt and then wiped his sweaty hands on his good jeans. (The pair of jeans with only a couple of holes in them.) He hadn't been sleeping and was just worried sick. It was only two days ago he got any word about Steven, and he was in the hospital! Then he was being put in a juvenile detention center?!

A complete stranger had called and explained what happened. Then the woman on the other line said her name, Bianca Diamant. It sent chills right up Greg's spine. Rose had warned him about this woman; if for whatever reason she contacted Greg about anything, he was to say _nothing_.

Greg knew that Rose was involved in some illegal activities, but she never shared with him exactly what she was doing. "_Crystal Gem business is not your business, babe! It's dangerous, you don't want to be implicated in anything! _"

That was about 13 years ago when Rose said that. But now? Greg didn't have a choice but to get involved. He couldn't help but feel that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were somehow responsible, how could they drag Steven into this mess?! The mess they made!

Greg Universe was sitting in an oak-paneled meeting room with an expensive but well-used conference table. There was a coffee maker in the corner, and the old rocker had poured some into a paper cup. Still, he was too anxious to actually drink any. It sat steaming on a brown paper napkin in front of him. Footsteps could be heard against the marble tiles down the hallway.

There was a sharp but polite knock on the door, the blinds rattled on the glass panel as the door was opened.

"Mr. Universe?" An average-sized woman walked through the door with a leather briefcase in one hand and a massive pile of papers in the other. Greg stood, and the woman shook his hand briefly before introducing herself.

"I'm Jaylin Miller, I've been hired as Steven Universe's defense attorney." She had robin-blue eyes and glasses with circular frames and short wavy, mousy-brown hair that fell on her forehead.

"Er, nice to meet you. Listen, I don't mean to be rude or anything but, when can I see my son?" Greg couldn't help himself, he could feel hot tears in his eyes.

"My son, he's been missing for over a week now. I just need to see him." He was worried about the others too, but the Gems' seemed entirely out of reach.

"Don't worry, Mr. Universe, you'll get to see your son before you leave here today. I have my own boys, I can only imagine what you're going through. We're about 20 minutes early; actually, we're waiting for the Diamant family." The attorney gave a soft, reassuring smile as she sat down.

Again, a shiver went up Greg's spine. He didn't know what the connection was between Rose and the Diamants', but he knew his late wife avoided them like roadkill. "I'm really confused, Mrs. Miller, what do they have to do with the situation?"

"Glad I showed up early. Okay here's the deal, this is a DNA test that was done on Steven Universe, and it was shown to match Lt. Colonel Linna Diamant. It's a 25 percent match, that makes the Lt. Colonel your son's maternal grandmother." While the woman spoke, she plucked a manilla folder from the stack of papers she set on the table and handed it to Greg.

The man's head was spinning, how could this be possible? "How-"

Sharp footsteps could be heard just outside, and a heavy-handed knock rattled the door. "Looks like the Diamants' are early too. Deep breath Mr. Universe, you look pale. Here, you may need this…"

Greg breathed in then out as he took the handkerchief that was offered to him. He wiped his eyes and nodded to Mrs. Miller that he was ready. "Come in!"

Two women were at the door. The first one to enter was in a dark blue Air Force uniform with various ribbons and citations displayed on the left side of her blazer. She had long silver hair that was meticulously pulled back into a twist with a flight cap cocked to the right. She smoothed out her skirt before she sat down opposite Greg. She had vivid icy-blue eyes, and there was something terribly elegant and graceful about the way she moved, her presence commanded respect.

The second woman to enter was far more intimidating. She was wearing a US Marine Corps uniform, and she looked like she was made of stone. She had a dark blue jacket with the eagle, globe and anchor insignia pinned to the standing collar. Stark white dress pants and black shoes with a high polish. (Greg could see the room reflected in them.) This woman had taken off her cap before entering, she had shorter spiky blond hair and sharp amber eyes that seemed to almost glow.

"Mr. Universe, this is Lt. Colonel Linna Diamant and General Melena Diamant." The attorney introduced the pair, and Greg reached across the table to shake hands, first to the colonel and then to the general who gripped his hand so hard he winced a bit.

"_Gently_, Yellow…" The colonel murmured to the marine.

Greg let go and flexed his hand, "Hi there, I'm Greg Universe, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Universe, I just wish it was under better circumstances. We have much to discuss." It was Linna Diamant who answered, and honestly, Greg was relieved. The way the marine general was looking at him, well, he wasn't quite sure what he had done to gain her ire.

"Well then, now that we're all here," The attorney organized some more paperwork in front of her and brought out some ink pens. The old rocker wished Pearl was here right now, she was so much better at this sort of thing…

"Let's start from the beginning. This began a little over a week ago, correct?" The lawyer sat back down, "We've got just over two hours before Steven's hearing, so we have to get all of our ducks in a row."  
… … … … … … … … …

Yellow sat on the edge of the bench in the hallway; her wife was sitting next to her, their fingers laced together. "It could have been worse."

The general was trying to sound confident, but she knew she fell short of her mark. Blue looked at her and shook her head. They had achieved what they set out to do, which was to gain custody of Steven, so he didn't have to sit in a detention center until the trial almost two months from now.

However, the laundry list of charges the US Attorney's Office levied against the boy was long. They were lumping him in right along with the Crystal Gems' and looking at charging him as an adult.

"God, I hope White has a plan because they are throwing the book at him!" Blue let her head fall back against the wall behind her. Greg Universe was currently in the room a little ways down the corridor, Steven was being fitted with an electronic ankle tag. The same model and make that Blue was presently wearing, this was a mess.

Yellow herself was being investigated, but it was unlikely that any indictment would be brought against her. The general wasn't involved in the prison break in South Carolina. It was the only reason why Blue and Yellow were even able to wrangle custody of Steven; the general didn't come into play until the end of the incident.

Counselor Miller stepped out of the room and briskly walked over to the pair. "Ladies, they're almost done in there. Greg just wants a little time with Steven before they part ways. Then he'll be handed off to you."

"Thank you, agent Zircon, now I know why White handpicked you for this job," Yellow said with a sigh. Zircon class Gems were lower-level Gems like Pearls, but their abilities were more empathic in scope. They were fantastic at reading people and their body language, which was why many of them ended up in the legal department of the Authority.

"My pleasure, Yellow Diamond." The woman nodded as she adjusted her glasses.

Voices echoed down the hall, "You ready champ?"

Yellow watched as Steven and Greg Universe stepped out of the small room with a bailiff in tow. The poor boy looked utterly dejected. He had dark circles under his eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Greg stopped and held the 12 year-old by the shoulders as he knelt.

"Listen, buddy, this will all work out, okay? You can Skype with me every night, and I'll come over and visit every Sunday, it's just a three-hour drive!" Steven nodded again and launched himself at his father, holding him around the neck.

"I love you kiddo, this is all going to work out, you'll see. And look, Blue's here! She told me you and her were pretty tight." Blue stood at the mention of her name, a soft smile spread across her face.

"Blue!" Steven bolted over and wrapped his arms around the colonel's waist.

"Steven! Love, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to see you!" The woman leaned down and gave the boy a kiss as she spoke softly into his ear.

Yellow finally stood as Greg approached carrying Steven's belongings in a hotdog shaped duffel bag. "Ah, well, I guess this is it then. All of his stuff is in here, and if he needs anything from home, you can give me a ring."

Yellow liked that she made this man _squirm_. He got her little girl pregnant after all, but he wasn't a bad person. The general's expression softened as she spoke, "We'll take good care of Steven. Whenever the mood strikes, you can come over and see him, he's been through enough trauma as it is, we don't want to keep you two apart."

"Thank you, you didn't have to do this, ya know." Greg held out the duffel bag, and Yellow took it.

"We couldn't bear Steven sitting in prison when none of this was his fault." It was an honest response, and an understanding passed between the pair.

"Young man, it's been a long day, and a driver is waiting for us. Are you ready to go?" Yellow's mezzo-soprano voice clipped through the marbled hallway.

"Yes, ma'am!" Steven said, puffing out his chest a bit.

"Good, give your father one last good-bye hug, and then we'll be on our way."  
… … … … … … … … …

It had been two days since the hearing in DC. It was blessedly quiet for once, no running, no surprise ambushes in the middle of the night, no looking over their shoulders, just taking things day by day.

But Blue noted that Steven had been strangely subdued. She couldn't blame him, his entire world had been flipped upside-down. Blue was becoming a bit concerned, however.

Steven wasn't eating, and his natural inquisitiveness and enthusiasm seemed muted. He just sat around the guest room and moped. Yellow said to give him space, but she had spent far less time with the boy then Blue had.

The Irish woman had been sitting and watching the rain in the sunroom of their stately home. She sighed as she looked into her mug and noted that she was out of tea. Blue got up and walked through the double doors into the living area and then through the swinging door into the kitchen. Afina was cleaning up some dishes from lunch and dutifully putting them into the dishwasher.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Diamant," Afina said in her wispy, soft voice.

"Hello Afina, how is our young ward today?" Truth be told, Blue hadn't seen him since last night.

"He's doing well enough, but," The willowy woman paused and pursed her lips.

"But?" Blue asked as she poured another mug of chamomile tea.

"He hasn't eaten breakfast or lunch today." Apparently, it was becoming enough of a concern that Afina was now mentioning it.

"Alright, then." She set her mug down and raised her eyebrows at Afina, who gave her a knowing nod.

Blue then strode down the hallway, past the master bedroom, past Carissa's room to the guest room. She softly knocked on the door and peeked her head through.

"Steven, love? Everything alright?" She knew everything was not alright, but she didn't know any other way to breach the subject at this point.

Steven was lying on the bed facing away from Blue, he half turned to answer. "Y-yeah, everything is good."

"It doesn't seem like everything is good, is there something I can do?" Blue sat opposite Steven on the bed and placed her hand on his back.

"I just wanted everything to go back to normal, and it's not." The boy released a heavy sigh and rolled over on to his back.

"It's difficult to mend what's been broken sometimes. Everything is wrong, and you don't know if things will ever be put right again." Blue leaned on one elbow as she rested her arm across his waist. Steven just nodded, tears rolling down his face.

"You know, someone brilliant told me recently that when you go through tough times, you're allowed to be sad, and you're allowed to cry, but you're not allowed to give up." Blue's eyebrows canted up as warm brown eyes gazed back at her.

"Blue?"

"Steven?"

"That guy sounds like a dork!" Blue picked up a nearby pillow and hit Steven with it, and the pair laughed until they were out of breath.  
… … … … … … … … …

It was late when Yellow rolled up the driveway in her Escalade. There was so much going on at work, and she was making sure all the reports were appropriately filed after everything that had happened. Then there was the investigation into Aquamarine's activities… A dark and dangerous look fell over the general's face when she thought about that Gem. She almost killed Blue and her grandson.

Yellow shook her head and stepped out of her vehicle. Usually, she would have taken the side path to the guest house, but she wasn't staying there anymore. The austere marine smiled to herself as she fiddled with the platinum wedding ring on her left hand. She looked fondly at the clear blue diamond as it glinted sharply in the low light of the garden.

The general hadn't felt this good in a long time. There was still a lot to work through, they'd probably need to get some counseling, but Melena wanted to be with Linna. She'd do just about anything to make that happen. That was for the future, however, right now, they had to clear up all the charges the US Attorney's office filed against everyone, and there was news.

Yellow stepped in through the side door and was greeted with raucous laughter coming from the living room. Steven's was the loudest, but Blue's laugh could be heard mingling just behind the boy's. The general set her cap down on the side table and her bag on the floor. Then she carefully stepped into the central part of the house.

Blue and Steven were sitting in front of the living room couch with controllers in their hands playing video games. There was a mess of pizza and soda cans on the living room table. The only light in the room was the 50-inch television.

"What have you two been doing today?" Her voice incredulous but soft. (Yellow's voice was rarely soft.)

"Yellow, you're back! Want some pizza?" Steven jumped up from the floor and leaned on the back of the couch, greeting her with a wide smile. The general had been somewhat worried; the boy was particularly despondent for the past couple of days. It was good to see him back to his usual rambunctious self.

"Steven brought out his Switch, he needed help with a level in Mario Maker 2. Though I think I'm more of a hindrance than of help." Blue looked up at Yellow from the front of the couch; a gentle knowing smile played across her face. She was glowing. (She was stunning.)

"You're not that bad, Blue," Steven said, jumping down from the couch onto a pillow on the floor.

"Hmm, you should ask Yellow for help. She's better at this than I am." Blue winked up at the general.

"I can certainly give it a try," Yellow said as she crossed her arms.

"Okay, but I gotta go first!" The boy abruptly jumped up and dashed for the bathroom. "Sorry, everyone, sorry, I'm _dying_ on the inside!"

Blue laughed and patted the floor next to her, inviting Yellow to sit. The general walked around to the front of the couch and arranged a cushion on the ground before settling in. The Irish woman wrapped her arms around Yellow, and the pair kissed.

"How's your _ass_?" Blue murmured cheekily against Yellow's lips.

"It's _fine_," Yellow growled as she buried her face in soft silver locks.

"Well, I hope so, it's one of my favorite parts about you," Blue said while biting the marine's earlobe.

"How was work?" Blue finally asked as she reluctantly pulled away.

"It was terrible, but there is news. We're meeting at headquarters tomorrow, at 10 o'clock sharp. Everyone is going to be there. When I say everyone, I mean _everyone_." Blue looked questioningly at Yellow as she traced the marine's collarbone with gentle fingers.

"The Crystal Gems are going to be there. I don't know what sort of horse-trading White had to do, but she managed some sort of deal." Yellow gave a tired sigh and rested her hand on Blue's hip.

"Okay, I'm back!" Steven announced as he ran back into the room and plopped down on the floor near Blue.

"Alright, what are we doing, young man?" The general said sternly. (But not too sternly.)

"This level is called: Robbing Boo's Bank!"

All Yellow could do was smile as she watched Steven animatedly explain the game. At the same time, Blue rested her head on Yellow's shoulder.


	21. Cloture

**_Don't you know that I'll be around to guide you_**  
**_Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you_**  
**_Returning nightmares only shadows_**  
**_We'll cast some light and you'll be alright_**  
**_We'll cast some light and you'll be alright for now_**

**_Zero 7, Crosses_**  
… … … … … … … … …

No sound echoed in the elegantly adorned hallways. It was strange to walk and not completely hear your own footsteps or others' footsteps. Voices seemed muffled, and the denizens of the twelfth floor of Authority HQ gave furtive glances at Steven as he followed Gwen down the hall.

Framed flags from countries that no longer existed hung on the walls along with old maps. Paintings of historical battles and busts of military leaders lined the way with the occasional door stuck in between; the office number and name inconspicuously set on the wall off to the side.

The boy looked up at his escort, and she glanced down back at him with a demure smile. She sort of reminded Steven of Princess Leia from Star Wars with her buns…

"It sure is quiet up here." The 12 year-old finally said as they walked on.

"Yes, we have soundproofing on many of the floors here for security purposes. I guess it would be a little bit unnerving to someone who isn't used to it." Gwen's delicate nasally voice barely reaching the boy's ears. The duo finally stopped at a large pair of oak doors at the end of the corridor.

"I hope you don't mind, Steven, but Director Diamant asked me to bring you to her office instead of General Diamant's. She said she'd like to see how you were doing for herself." The petite woman leaned down a bit so Steven could hear better.

"Um, yeah, that's alright." The boy tugged anxiously at the pale pink button-up shirt he was wearing. He hated dress clothes even though he picked out the ones he was wearing now. Black dress pants and dark-colored penny loafers; Steven felt itchy and stiff. (So much for only wearing them for school concerts.)

The 12 year-old followed Gwen into a small office reception room. Beige carpeting with cream-colored office couches and a water cooler sat off to the side where a TV hung on the wall with the world news playing. A small coffee area was next to, what Steven assumed, was Gwen's desk. The assistant politely knocked on an identical set of double wooden doors next to the waiting area. She poked her head in and announced Steven, then motioned for the boy to enter the office.

White's office was cavernous, Steven's jaw dropped when he stepped in. There was a large conference table in front of him in a recessed area with many leather chairs. A large oak desk was just beyond that with the Authority insignia just behind it, the American flag and the Presidential flag on either side. There was a modest-sized lounge area to his left next to a wall lined with windows granting a view into sunny downtown DC.

One of the windows was where White Diamond was sitting. "Hello starlight, I hope you didn't have a difficult time getting here today?"

"N-no, ma'am." Steven watched as White patted the windowsill next to her.

"I already know how you're being taken care of; I'm certain Blue and Yellow are spoiling you. How are you feeling?" The older woman asked in a honeyed tone

"I'm okay." The boy said and swallowed hard as White glanced out the window.

"I love this time of the morning, the sun hits just the right angle, and the entire office is lit up. You can look straight down Pennsylvania Avenue and see the Rotunda on a clear day like this." She gave Steven a gentle smile as he hopped up to sit next to the older woman.

Steven looked out and saw DC unfurled before his eyes. Romanesque buildings mixed with modern businesses, traffic coming, and going. It was the epicenter of the United States.

"There's more clutter blocking my view now. When I first started working here, there was far less, and FBI Headquarters wasn't even completely built yet!" White trailed off, distant memories hanging in her eyes like cobwebs.

"Was that a long time ago?" The boy asked curiously, he was getting the impression that White Diamond didn't just share conversations like this with anyone.

"Oh, starlight! That was eons ago! Everything was so full of potential, we were fighting the good fight! I was going to protect the United States. It was going to be _perfect_." White shook her head slightly and sighed.

"That's a pretty high bar to reach." The statement seemed to snap White out of whatever reverie she was in, her gaze was now glued to Steven.

"I-I think so anyways. Sometimes when you try to make something perfect, it just makes things worse. It's like when you play a video game, you want that high score so bad! But you forget to have fun, then everyone has a bad time, and then you don't get the high score anyway."

White leaned against the windowpane and simply looked at Steven, "Um, that sounded pretty dumb, sorry."

"No! No-no, starlight. That was probably the most articulate way to sum up, what went wrong. I tried too hard and lost sight of the bigger picture. Everyone I loved ended up being collateral damage." Steven could see that this stung, her impossible standards blinding her to the things that matter most.

"I'm getting far too old for all this." The older woman sighed as she got up. "We're going to try and fix that today."

"Soda?" She looked at the boy questioningly, her hand on the door of a mini-fridge.

Steven perked up a bit at the offer, he was a little thirsty. "What flavors?"

"_Ah_, I only keep one flavor here in the office; orange cream. I used to favor Coca-Cola, but during the war, there was an embargo from the United States. It never tasted the same to me after the war." The older woman got out a frosty bottle with bright orange liquid inside. She then proceeded to grab a glass and a bottle opener and motioned for Steven to follow her to the conference table.

"The war?" The 12 year-old sat down in one of the large leather office chairs next to White. (She sat at the head of the table, of course.)

"In the second world war, I was a teenager working with the Polish resistance, barely older than you are now. Steven, I'm almost 100 years old." She leaned towards the boy to put emphasis on the point as she raised her eyebrows.

"But, you don't look _that_ old." Steven spouted then slapped his hand to his mouth.

White gave a loud throaty laugh as she poured half of the soda in a glass and then gracefully handed it to Steven. "Oh, starlight! I knew there was a reason why I liked you. People are scared to be honest with me these days."

"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing before the meeting started. Last time we met, you were in the hospital, and the time before that, you were falling off the side of a building."

The older woman raised her bottle, and Steven raised his glass in a toast, "Here's to not meeting like that in the future. _Na Zdorovie_, to your health."

"Orange soda before ten in the morning? Honestly, mother," Yellow stepped in through the door straightening her jacket.

"Hmm, you never complained about that when _you_ were a little girl, sunlight," White smirked at Yellow.

"You were a little girl Yellow!?" Steven blurted and then instantly smashed both hands on his mouth.

White Diamond leaned forward, shaking in quiet laughter as a scandalized look appeared on the general's face, "Starlight! _My_, you're in rare form today!"

"Are we working today or not!?" Yellow huffed as she briskly walked over to the head of the table.

"I came in to tell you that the sheriff's department has arrived. Our guests are being escorted up by Jasper and Blue Diamond. They'll be here in a moment." The general sat down across from Steven. He gave her a sheepish grin and was rewarded with a quick wink.

Soon there was a knock. Gwen appeared and opened one of the doors and stepped aside. Another woman held the opposite door open; she was burly with wild platinum blonde hair that hung down to the center of her back. The look on her face was all business, _serious business_.

Then Amethyst, Pearl, and Garnet all stepped into the office. Steven was elated, he jumped up and bolted over to them.  
… … … … … … … … …

White watched as the Crystal Gems were reunited with Steven, lots of hugs were given (and tears shed). She nodded to Blue Diamond and Blue Zircon as they entered, and walked over to the table. They could begin their meeting.

White Diamond stood and cleared her throat, "Sorry to interrupt, but we really should get started. I've called in many favors to make this meeting happen, and we only have a limited amount of time."

"Come on, Gems'," Garnet said, and they all filed over to the side of the table Steven was sitting at. All three ladies were wearing dark blue jumpsuits and had their hands cuffed to chains around their waists. If they didn't agree to White's offer, they would remain that way for a long time…

"Everyone settled? Good, let's get started." The director looked at everyone at the table carefully. Blue and Yellow sat off to White's left, pensive looks passing between them. Zircon sat just beyond them, a tablet along with a paper and pen to take notes. Steven returned to his previous seat. He looked nervous, he was clutching Garnet's hand for dear life.

"Much has been revealed in the past couple of weeks, a lot of trouble caused," The director began.

"Trouble that your agent caused!" Pearl blurted angrily.

"No, it started almost 15 years ago when you ran away with our daughter! It started with you!" Yellow Diamond snapped back.

"Stop, this will take all day if we want to argue semantics," White said, raising her hand.

"What is this about then, White? Why are we here?" Garnet spoke smoothly in a cautious tone.

"What I want is for you to work for me. You single-handedly evaded my agency for over a decade. Then escaped a maximum-security detention center and avoided a small army of my officers and agents for over a week." The director finally sat back down and rested her hands on the table.

"So, like, what do we get out of the deal? Prison is sounding pretty nice right about now." The one called Amethyst didn't sound amused.

"Well, you could go to prison. Then your freelance, rebel, Crystal Gem network will be picked apart by the FBI and other police agencies. Then more arrests will be made." White stopped to take a sip of her soda.

"Or, you and all of your resources could work for the Authority. You'd be a specialist group for handling particularly sensitive situations that arise. You could go on living your lives in Beach City and only be called upon when needed." The director crossed her arms.

"What about all the bureaucratic red tape? We won't answer to any corrupt government officials or senators." The leader of the Crystal Gems was leery.

"You'd answer only to me, and everything would be sanctioned by the Authority. You would be legal, and after a certain grace period, your debt to society would be worked off. I won't pursue anyone else, and I'll even give you a salary and benefits. You would be legitimate." White watched uncertainly. This was a gamble, and she wouldn't be able to convince the US Justice Department for another chance.

"What about Steven!? You can't expect him to-" Pearl started.

"Ah, if I may?" Blue Zircon interjected, and White nodded.

"Steven is a minor, and everything he did was in self-defense. I can get the charges dumbed-down if you refuse the director's offer. But the US Attorney's office is willing to outright drop the charges if you accept the offer." Zircon adjusted her glasses.

"Then he can go home and just be Steven. Nothing is required of him now or in the future." White leaned back in her chair watching carefully.

"What do you say, ladies? This is the only time I'm offering this, I don't think I could manage another deal. This whole incident was an unmitigated disaster. Washington is questioning my ability now. I've lost my edge, and I need a new one, you've got what it takes." Silence covered the room, White was anxious.

"I can't speak for Amethyst and Pearl, but I'm in," Garnet said, she gave the director a hard look.

"Garnet, how could you do-" The black woman turned to Pearl.

"It keeps _all_ of the Crystal Gems out of the crosshairs of the government, and it gets Steven off the hook! Rose would never forgive me if she knew our actions caused him to get in trouble."

"She's right, P," Amethyst said, shaking her head. "Think about it, when we were running, we showed Blue D all the tricks in our bag. She has enough info to slam everyone. Then there's Steve-O, can't do that to him, these are our problems and Rose's. Sign me up, White D."

More silence, Pearl's jaw clenched. "I don't like this, I…"

"Pearl, this'll be done if you say yes. We can go home to the beach house and dad." Steven had tears in his eyes when he spoke, but he sounded hopeful. White could have had the boy sit out (perhaps even should have), but the 12 year-old was at the core of the matter.

"I'm in, but I'm only doing it for him!" The willowy woman shook her head. "If Rose was alive…"

"She would be proud of you," Garnet said confidently. "Tell us what's next, director."

"Excellent! Agent Zircon, let's have everyone out of prison as soon as we're able." White was pleased, to say the least. The Navy had the SEALs, the Army had the Rangers and White would have the Crystal Gems.

"Yes, Director Diamant, there is one last thing, however. All three women are required to have a handler, they won't be released until one is appointed. Do we have a candidate?" White tsk'd, this was a new development.

"Who added that condition?" The older woman's voice had an added edge to it.

"_Ah_, the US Attorney's office and the Justice Department, naturally." Zircon looked nervous.

"Dammit! This will take time now. We'll need to relocate the agent to Beach City, then they'll have to be experienced; we can't have some greenhorn taking over. Yellow, I need files on my desk before close of business."

"I have some ideas of course, but this is going to take-"

"I'll do it." Blue Diamond's lilting voice cut through Yellow and White's bluster.

"Assuming you can get the indictment against me dropped, I'll be the Crystal Gems' handler." Blue looked over to Zircon, but the counselor was at a loss.

"Lt. Colonel, you know what this means, correct?" White stared at her daughter-in-law.

"Oh, I know, I'll have to move. What's more, is I'll have to give up my position as head of the investigation branch here. But, I haven't been present in many years, I'm more of a figurehead than anything." Blue looked down at the table and sighed.

"_Blue_…" Yellow said in an incredulous tone.

"I'm the best option. You're going to have this shadowy team working in the background, I know how to work the bureaucrats here in DC. I have my own contacts believe it or not. And the Crystal Gems trust me, at least to a degree. They're not going to trust some random agent you throw at them." Blue looked over to Garnet, and the woman nodded.

"Besides, there are other factors in play aside from the work." The colonel gave a tempered smile to Steven.

"Alright, moonbeam. Counselor make it happen, I want everything arranged by the end of the week."

This was different, far from what White was expecting (and she had seen _a lot_ over her long life). However, the shift was for the better, perhaps if she applied it to the rest of the Authority…  
… … … … … … … … …

"Blue, you really want to do this!? What about our home? What about _us_?" Yellow was pacing in front of her desk, her movement's animated.

The colonel got up from where she was sitting and stepped in front of Yellow. She removed the marine's cap with one hand while wrapping her arms around the general's neck. "There's still an _us_. It will simply have to be a _long-distance us_."

"I just… I was hoping things could go back to the way they were." Yellow placed her hands on Blue's hips staring intently into arctic-blue eyes.

"It will never be that way again, as much as you want it to be. As much as _I _want it to be. A clean break will be good, I can be closer to Steven. I can help guide him on using his powers in a safer environment. He wouldn't be able to otherwise." Blue watched as Yellow nodded in agreement.

"I can work on being sober. This assignment will allow me to do that, it's not as high speed as the work here at headquarters." Blue traced the general's collar with her free hand as she spoke.

"It'll get you out of trouble with the law at the very least," Melena said as she buried her face in Linna's neck.

"What about the house? I'm not sure I can live there by myself." Linna hummed in understanding, there were too many ghosts in that house. It hadn't truly been a home in a long time.

"Let's think about selling it. Like you wanted to do a couple years after Carissa went missing." She brushed her hand through short flaxen locks.

Melena pulled back and kissed Linna briefly, "This… I wasn't expecting this. If you really want to go through with everything, though, you have my full support."

"I love you, Melena." Linna watched as her wife gave a wide grin.  
… … … … … … … … …

"So, whaddya think?!" Amethyst was positively beaming at the former Mexican seafood restaurant.

"It needs a lot of work is what I think. Now I understand why this place was so cheap!" Pearl said tartly as she pulled some old wallpaper off a nearby column.

The shorter woman sighed and shook her head, "This will be _awesome_! We get to call the shots, this is _our_ place. It'll be tough at first, but we'll polish it up, and _The Hidden Gem_ will be the hottest place to be in Beach City!"

Amethyst was about to burst, she had her own bar on the beach! Bismuth was coming over this weekend to help with some minor building repairs. Peridot and Lapis may come to help too, they'd have this place up to code in no time.

"I predict that this will be a great success," Garnet said in her usual smooth voice, a mysterious smile gracing her strong features.

"I'd like to remind you that you can't see that far ahead into the future." Pearl picked up a broom and began sweeping the floor.

"No, but I can make an educated guess. At any rate, I've got a client at the sports center in ten minutes, stay out of trouble Gems." Garnet winked and lowered her sunglasses at the two ladies cleaning up.

"See P, Garnet had it right the whole time. Free-agent, we work for ourselves." The bartender sat on an old bar stool. Garnet was the only one out of the three that managed to stay employed; her clients came to her, and she was the best tennis instructor in this area.

"Not really, I can't help but feel like we sold our soul to White Diamond."

"P, we're not in jail, and we're actually getting paid a decent amount of money. It's not like we didn't already go on dangerous outings, to begin with. We're just legitimate now."

"I suppose you're right." The thin woman looked at her watch and then back to Amethyst. "Steven is almost back from school, maybe one of us should-"

"Come on pierogi, Greg hasn't let him out of his sight since we got back. We got work to do here, he'll come by if he needs anything." Amethyst didn't want to admit it, and it was even harder for Pearl. Their recent adventure proved that their little meatball was growing up, and he could look after himself.

"Oh, I just worry is all, after everything that's happened. I suppose I shouldn't, but…" Pearl suddenly looked at the front window of the Aqua-Mexican.

"This window is so dirty it's opaque, I can't even see if it's day or night outside!" Amethyst laughed and slapped Pearl on the back. This was going to be fun.  
… … … … … … … … …

Beach City was overcast and windy when the moving van pulled out of the long gravel driveway. It was the end of September, and an east coast fall was beginning to set in. Multicolored leaves covered the lawn of modest ranch house. It had light blue siding and a deck on the back with wooden stairs leading to the beach. The view of the ocean was stunning. It was also surprisingly private; her neighbors to the north were hardly ever there (summer cottage). Her neighbor to the south was a carwash (Greg Universe).

Blue was busy unboxing items for the kitchen. There was a lot of work to be done, not just getting herself organized. The warehouse just off of the coastal highway near the Seashore State Park also needed to be organized. It was going to be the base for their operations, that was going to take some work. It was meant for shipbuilding, not running clandestine missions.

The paperwork, budget, gear; it all needed to be sorted out. Luckily Blue kept Afina on as her assistant; she would be her organizer and "gofer" between Beach City and DC. She could worry about all that later.

The situation was completely different now. If Blue was told, she would be living in another state and sober five weeks ago she would have laughed her ass off. But this was happening and she was finally moving forward.

She knew what happened to her daughter, her Carissa. It was bittersweet, but somehow knowing that her life wasn't taken from her violently… Well Blue could just deal with that fact better for whatever reason. Carissa _lived_, she knew what it was to truly love someone and was a mother herself at the end. Carissa had a beautiful little boy she named Steven.

Tears fell from the Irish woman's eyes, she paused to wipe them away. Steven would know who his mother was, the good and the bad, he deserved as much. Blue sighed and continued, the situation was _far_ from perfect, but it was _far_ better than where she was before.

All the dishes were put away, and the kitchen was pretty much situated when the doorbell rang. Blue started, she wasn't expecting anyone and wasn't dressed for company. Yoga capris and a royal-blue hoodie wasn't precisely her "Sunday best."

"Blue! You got here early!" Steven practically tackled the Irish woman as soon as she opened the door. She laughed as the boy squeezed her waist. It'd been only three weeks since she saw him, but his company was missed.

"Yes, I'm here early, love! Did you just come here from school?" She glanced out the open door to see Steven's bike and cheeseburger backpack haphazardly thrown on the front lawn.

"Yeah, I was going to see dad when I saw your car in the driveway. Yellow isn't here? I thought she'd be helping you." The boy pulled away and looked up at Blue.

"She'll be over this weekend to help me sort out this mess." Blue smiled and brushed Steven's dark curls out of his eyes.

"So, I'm guessing you don't have any groceries?" Steven said coyly and stepped towards the door.

"No, I haven't had the chance to go out." Blue gave him a curious look.

"Let's go to Fish Stew Pizza!" The boy said, jumping down the steps. The colonel gave him an uncertain look.

"Okay, so maybe it's a terrible name. The pizza is great, though, I promise. And we can pick up my dad on the way. Wanna go?" Steven looked at Blue with stars in his eyes. (Oh, she was going to have a terrible time denying this boy anything.)

"Grab your bag and let's go, love." She grabbed her purse, and the pair walked down the driveway. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know Greg Universe a little better. He'll probably be more relaxed without Yellow glowering at him.

"Hey, Blue? You were right." The 12 year-old stopped at the end of the driveway.

"Oh, and what was I right about?" The Irish woman asked as she investigated her mailbox, it seemed… off-kilter.

"You said everything would be alright when we were at that construction site. And you were right!" Blue gave Steven a broad smile.

"I've always heard the saying that 'things have to get worse before they get better.' I never really paid attention until now." Blue said as she opened the mailbox door in an investigative motion.

"Uh, careful that thing isn't-" The mailbox tipped over and crashed to the ground.

Blue jumped back, startled by the sudden commotion. She looked over to Steven, "I think your mailbox just got a lot worse."

"It's okay Blue, I'll help you fix it. I got your back!" Steven gave her a wide smile and Blue couldn't help but smile in return.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**The end! Thanks for reading! I post more on AO3 these days and I go under the same exact username. I'm finding it difficult to post on two different sites, so I'm going to stick more to AO3 from now on. Take care, everyone!**


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